But it didn't stop at cleaning cloths. Over the years, MTS Euro Products expanded its range to include all kinds of hygiene products. From paper towels to soap dispensers and from absorption materials to waste bags. About half of all of the products in the range are sustainable. The Netherlands leads the way in sustainable hygiene products About 15 years ago, a demand for sustainable products began to arise, and MTS Euro Products started supplying recycled paper towels. And that demand only got bigger. “In the Netherlands, we are far ahead of everyone else when it comes to sustainable and circular hygiene products. Not only is the demand high, but we are also very innovative in that area. We are truly world leaders in this regard," says Gerrit with pride. MTS Euro Products is happy to contribute to this sustainable attitude. “If a product is sustainable or circular, we deliver it. We also want to be at the forefront of this ourselves.” Sustainable products mainly used in the Dutch market MTS Euro Products exports hygiene products to 37 countries. Abroad, sustainability and circularity are rarely considered in his sector. “We export toilet paper to South Africa. They are doing a lot with solar panels there, but they are not interested in sustainable or circular hygiene products. Germany does have a market for this sort of thing. The demand there is increasing, but even so, it still lags behind that in the Netherlands.” An advantage in tendering Sustainability and circularity are a must when it comes to hygiene products. “You can really win tenders with this. Companies and governments increasingly tend to assume that the products you supply are sustainable and circular.” Gerrit notes that the quoted price is not the only thing that counts in a tender. “More and more, people also look at logistics and accommodation. If you have a sustainable building and have set up your transport as sustainably as possible, that works to your advantage.” Schiphol Gerrit would like to have Schiphol as a customer. Because his company mainly supplies wholesalers, he does not always know who the end users are. However, Gerrit could tell by the soap dispenser at the airport that his products are not being used there. “A lot can still be achieved at Schiphol when it comes to sustainability and circularity. We would like to contribute to this, not least because a lot of people would be using the products. It's like a kind of business card.” Circular Paper Towels E-tissue is a unique product line that Gerrit would like to supply to Schiphol. “It is a fully circular product and very suitable for the airport. The used paper towels are collected and used to make new hygiene paper. The chain is unbroken. This way, we ensure that the waste is reused immediately,” he says proudly. Green loan for distribution center and office MTS Euro Products is currently in the process of building a new distribution center with office, which will be built as sustainably and circularly as possible. To do this, the company applied for financing from ABN AMRO, its main bank. Gerrit is satisfied with the way the bank handled this: “Our relationship manager was on board with the project right away, and pointed out the possibility of a green loan. This gave us a discount on the interest. The bank also helped with applying for subsidies for which our sustainable building would qualify. It's great that the bank arranged all of this for us.” CSR MTS Euro Products also attaches great importance to corporate social responsibility. “We are a Maassluis company with 100 employees. Half of them live here, so I feel that as a company, we are obligated to give back to the community.” For example, the company outsources part of its work to Stroomopwaarts, an organization in Maassluis that helps people who have a disadvantage in the labor market find work. And MTS Euro Products also acts as sponsor, such as for the local football club and the Food Bank. “During the pandemic, there was a threat of a shortage of toilet paper. Therefore, I had a big load of toilet paper delivered to the Food Bank.” If there is still something that Gerrit could improve on, it is sustainability in and around his own home. “I do a lot of work in business, but at home there is still a lot to do. For example, I don't have an electric car just yet, while a number of employees do. Who knows, you might see me in one in a few years.” SOURCE: ABN AMROv