Meet Phil Richards, Founder of TAPP Water Malta
We are honoured to introduce Mr. Phil Richards to the Green Deal Malta platform! In our exclusive interview with Phil, he introduces ‘TAPP Water Malta’, an enterprise which provides water filters which will make your life easier. Phil speaks about TAPP Water Malta’s mission, which is to avoid 10 million bottles of plastic waste by 2024. Find out more about TAPP Water Malta and the products which are available by taking a look at our interview with Phil!
What is TAPP Water Malta all about? What is your vision, and mission?
What is TAPP Water Malta all about? What is your vision, and mission?Our mission is “to create sustainable, affordable and convenient badass products that eliminate the need for bottled water.” In Malta our goal is to reach 10,000 households by 2024, in order to eliminate the need for 10 million plastic bottles a year.
What kind of products does TAPP Water Malta sell? Are these products beneficial to the environment?
TAPP Water filters are designed around sustainability and the reduction of plastic waste within the product. TAPP water filters attach easily to most kitchen mixers and the filter refills last 3 months and can easily be replaced by homeowners with minimal creation of waste. Using TAPP Water filters saves around 1,000 plastic bottles being used per household, saves water which is used in the production of plastic bottles, saves CO2 emissions, and generates less weight in waste. An additional benefit is that the consumer saves money.
From a consumer’s point of view, are there any positive or negative health consequences which a consumer should be aware of when drinking tap water through a TAPP product?
TAPP Water filters are independently tested in USA, Europe and in Malta to eliminate or reduce over 80 common contaminants found in the public supply of water including chlorine, fluoride, lead, heavy metals, nitrates, nitrites, chlorine by products, antibiotics, pharmaceuticals and microplastics. The healthy minerals are left in the water delivering a healthy, great tasting water, instantly available from your kitchen mixer.
TAPP Water filters waste no water or energy to produce filtered water.
Has TAPP Water Malta conducted any studies which prove that drinking tap water through TAPP filters is safe and healthy?
Yes, we had an independent test done in December 2020 and we published the results of the analysis on our website.
Are TAPP filters easy to install? How much does it cost to purchase and install a TAPP filter?
Householders can install the filter themselves, and we can provide assistance if required. A household filter can start from around €50 and filter refills cost €60 a year for all your drinking water.
Does tap water which is filtered through TAPP products taste similar to bottled water?
Taste is a very personal thing, so it’s best to try it out yourself. We offer a 45 day guarantee with a full refund and in the past year, 95% of customers have kept their TAPP Water Filter, indicating that they are satisfied with the taste.
What are the advantages of TAPP filters in comparison with other similar products on the market?
TAPP Water filters waste no water or energy to produce filtered water. Filtered water is available instantly at a faster flow rate than other systems, there are no pipes or tanks to maintain, and no room taken up on your kitchen surface or below your sink. You can install it yourself and there is no maintenance, just a simple filter change every 3 months. Finally, our design is sustainable which means minimising the amount of plastic produced by using the filters.
Plastic bottles are an old solution that is no longer viable or needed.
How did TAPP Water Malta develop over the years? Do you only operate in Malta, or even in other countries?
TAPP Water was launched in 2018 in Spain after many years of extensive research on filtering systems, and is now distributed in over 30 countries including Malta.
Has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted your sales? If yes, has there been a positive or negative impact?
We launched in June 2020 so we had started working on the project in Malta just at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in Malta, so we have nothing to compare with before. As an online business, we have found that our operations have been impacted minimally. As a small business, we have also been able to be flexible and adapt to the circumstances.
What is your opinion on responsible water consumption in Malta? Do you think that the people are ready to buy TAPP products here in Malta?
Over 1,250 households have started to use TAPP Water in the first year of operation; we have met many of these customers in their homes in all areas of Malta and Gozo, and in all types of dwellings. What we have experienced tells us that householders are fed up with the hassle of plastic bottles, fed up with storing them, buying them, moving them around, crushing them for recycling bins etc.- plastic bottles no longer feel like a convenient option, and with TAPP they are completely unnecessary.
What are TAPP Water Malta’s top values, in three words?
Sustainability, Change, Impact.
Do you have any concluding remarks and messages which you would like to share with the Green Deal Malta community, in particular perhaps regarding sustainable water consumption?
Our focus is supplying great tasting drinking water in a sustainable way. Plastic bottles are an old solution that is no longer viable or needed. Removing plastic bottles for drinking water has a huge impact on our environment in Malta; each household making this simple change avoids the use of up to 1,000 bottles a year. This is something every household could consider.
Contributor(s)
Phil Richards
Phil Richards is the founder of TAPP Water (Malta) Ltd., the distributors for TAPP Water products in Malta and Gozo. Born in Britain and living in Malta for the past 14 years, Phil has a keen interest in sustainable living, reducing plastic consumption and living mindfully. Phil first came across TAPP when looking for a water filtration system that minimised waste and avoided the creation of unnecessary plastic waste in the use of refill cartridges. He found the solution in TAPP, bought and used it for a while before agreeing to bring it to Malta, with a mission to empower households to avoid 10 Million plastic bottles a year by 2024.
