Pope symbolically receives Retulp drinking bottle

Some collaborations are not born at a conference table, but simply on the beach. This is also true of the bond between Retulp and Merijn Tinga, better known as Plastic Soup Surfer. Back in 2013, the two met during various beach clean-ups. A year later, Richard Gabriel founded Retulp and Merijn, under the name Plastic Soup Surfer, began to become increasingly well known for his expeditions and campaigns against plastic pollution.

Since then, their missions have run strikingly parallel. Where Merijn calls attention to
issues such as deposits, litter and recycling, Retulp develops products that people can use daily as an alternative to disposable products. That shared vision led to a special moment in 2026 when Pope Leo XIV received an engraved Retulp drinking bottle during a meeting with Merijn Tinga in Rome.

That a reusable drinking bottle ended up in the hands of the Pope is extraordinary. It shows how a simple product can become part of a much bigger story.

Merijn Tinga was already on a new expedition calling attention to
During his trip he traveled from Nice to Rome, covering much of the route by water.

Along the way, he spoke with organizations, policymakers and concerned citizens about solutions to plastic pollution. As with previous expeditions, the focus was not only on awareness, but also on how people can actually make different choices in everyday life.

For his meeting with the Pope, Merijn was looking for an appropriate gift with a clear message. For this he contacted Richard Gabriel of Retulp. Together the idea was born for an engraved drinking bottle with the text Casa Comune, or: our common home.

On May 21, 2026, Merijn personally handed the bottle to Pope Leo XIV. Thus a product from Apeldoorn became part of an international story about recycling and conscious consumption. You can read more about this special moment in the article by indebuurt Apeldoorn

At first glance, a drinking bottle seems like a simple utensil. Yet the product touches on something many people recognize. Virtually everyone drinks water on the go, takes something with them to work, school or sports and uses daily products that often only last a short time.

This is precisely why reusable products are so visible. They are part of daily routines without being complicated. A water bottle sits on a desk, goes with a sports bag or is in the car. As a result, it becomes a tangible example of reuse in practice.For Retulp, that's what it's been about since its inception. A drinking bottle that lasts for years
ultimately has more impact than a well-intentioned message that is quickly forgotten.

Handing the bottle over to the pope was not a one-time action. Retulp and Plastic Soup Surfer have been working together for years. Over the years, their paths crossed regularly during campaigns, events and projects around recycling and litter.

During the recent expedition, Retulp also supported the mission with special bottles for Plastic Soup Surfer's crowdfunding campaign. Supporters could thus not only contribute to the expedition, but also received a lasting memory of the project.

During his trip, Merijn also handed a Retulp bottle to Prince Albert of Monaco. With that, the message around deposit and reuse got international attention again. Read more about the partnership between Retulp and Plastic Soup Surfer

The encounter between Merijn Tinga and Pope Leo XIV shows how a local initiative can eventually gain international attention. What began during beach cleanups in the Netherlands grew into a collaboration that became visible in the Vatican.

For consumers, it's mostly a reminder that everyday products often tell more than you think. Behind a drinking bottle can be a story about innovation, entrepreneurship, conscious consumption and perseverance. Not because a product is changing the world, but because it can be part of a broader movement in which more and more people are choosing to reuse.