This is the powerful story of Dopper, which began one evening on a Dutch beach, strewn with plastic waste. As the tide rolled in, it became clear that what we leave behind does not simply vanish, it becomes the problem. That same night, a documentary on ‘plastic soup’ connected the dots for Merijn Everaarts, which inspired him to launch the now iconic reusable water bottle brand Dopper. The company’s dual mission is to eliminate single use plastic and improve global access to safe clean drinking water.

In this candid conversation, Merijn shares the ‘light bulb moment’ instigated by flash mobs, crowdsourcing, and social awareness which ultimately launched Dopper. We explore the challenges and triumphs of building a purpose-driven business, the crucial role of community engagement, and the importance of taking 100% responsibility for social and environmental impact. Merijn also highlights how legacy and established brands can find and embed purpose, and examples of large corporations are making the successful transition (Unilever, Danone, Ben & Jerry’s, etc.). Don’t miss this episode and visit: www.dopper.com

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a sustainability advocate, or simply a conscious consumer, this episode is packed with practical insight on how profit and purpose can genuinely go hand-in-hand … one bottle at a time.

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THREE FUN FACTS

💃 From Flash Mob to Innovation: The original idea for the Dopper bottle was launched with a flash mob event in three Dutch cities, where over 500 people danced together and were then asked to contribute design ideas for a new reusable bottle which set the stage for Dopper’s success.

💧 Putting Water on a Pedestal: The unique design of the Dopper bottle means you can open the top and use it as a cup, almost like a wine glass and if you turn the bottle upside down, it symbolically raises tap water.

🍼 The “Plastic Madonna” Statue – Turning Waste into Warning: Made entirely from beach plastic collected at the Rio Olympics, the plastic Madonna breastfeeding her child was a striking reminder of how plastic bottle pollution in our oceans affects humanity for generations.

LISTEN OUT FOR…

@35:33 The Impact of Plastic Pollution: "If we keep on polluting our food chain, we are breastfeeding our children with plastic.”

@43:26 The True Cost of Plastic Bottles: "For me the circle is complete if you say that the whole world has access to safe drinking water, there's no need for plastic water bottles anymore."

@51:32 Actionable Corporate Social Responsibility: "So I think for all the plastic in the world, or for any product which you put to the planet, every producer should take their full responsibility. So not just recycling by corporations that take care of the plastic pollution as a Coca-Cola, as Nestle do, but if you put one bottle on the market, you should take care that you get it back."

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