Several Schiphol Airport shops quit selling plastic water bottles

Some of the stores at Schiphol Airport will immediately stop selling disposable plastic water bottles, said Schiphol Airport Retail (SAR). With 12 shops, the company is the largest retailer at the airport.

By no longer selling bottled water at some of their stores, it will prevent the disposal of 750,000 plastic bottles, the company said. For the most part, the company is no longer selling the water in their liquor and chocolate shops starting this week, but at least for the time being, they will still be available at other retail outlets beyond security checkpoints.

SAR claimed they are the first in Europe to take this step. The initiative is part of a collaboration with reusable water bottle company Dopper.

The Dutch brand is working on a broader initiative to get more drinking water taps installed in the Netherlands. A new point for refilling bottles will be installed at Schiphol Lounge 2, which will be capable of displaying information about the amount of water people used to fill their bottles, and the number of disposable plastic water bottles that did not enter the market as a result.

“Bringing and refilling your reusable water bottle when you travel should be just as normal as taking your phone and passport with you,” said Dopper CEO Virginia Yanquilevich. “We hope other retailers will follow SAR’s lead.”