Drinking water company Dunea and conference and theatre location World Forum The Hague are joining forces. From now on, visitors to World Forum The Hague can tap water for free and unlimitedly from five Dunea water taps. Sustainable tap water is also served in the foyers and break-out rooms. On 1 February, both organisations, together with The Hague alderman Liesbeth van Tongeren (Sustainability), festively put the taps into use.
The taps give every conference or theatre visitor access to the drinking water that is extracted in the Hollandse Duinen National Park, the dune area between Katwijk and Monster. The taps mean that World Forum no longer serves and sells (flat) bottled water. In this way, World Forum and Dunea contribute to reducing plastic waste. The developments fit in with the sustainable business operations within World Forum The Hague. Michiel Middendorf, general manager, explains: “It is no longer in keeping with the times to extract water from the ground in another country and transport it to us in bottles via polluting transport. And yet we are allowed to tap the tastiest and purest drinking water from our own dunes in The Hague!”
Available anywhere, anytime
Dunea would like to see companies and catering establishments in its delivery area encourage the serving of tap water. Wim Drossaert, director of Dunea: “Tap water is a sustainable product that fits into a healthy lifestyle. World Forum is the first large event location to have indoor taps. The fact that they are taking this sustainable step shows courage and social awareness. World Forum The Hague is a location with a beautiful history that attracts thousands of visitors from home and abroad every year. We hope that many companies will follow this example and also serve tap water.”
Savings
In an average year, World Forum The Hague purchased more than 14.000 bottles of bottled water, a total of 6.443,46 litres of water. This amount of water now comes directly from the taps. Alderman Liesbeth van Tongeren is happy with this: “Plastic bottles are really outdated and end up on the street or in nature too often. Fortunately, more and more people are drinking tap water and you can increasingly fill your bottle on the go. It is great that this is now also possible in World Forum The Hague.” A total of five taps have been placed at various locations within World Forum The Hague. Dunea provides the annual maintenance of the taps. The bottles in which World Forum serves its table water were also supplied by Dunea.
