Our Story

In 2009, the idea for We Beat The Mountain was born. Here is a little anecdote on how the idea was born. In the summer, Han Hendriks, the founder of WBTM, once again bought a Samsonite suitcase. And after using it only once… it broke. This was the third time in his life that his suitcase had broken after only one use! It joined the ranks of his other broken suitcases, all of which had been made of “wrong plastic.” Because of this frustration, anger and pure astonishment, Han came up with the idea to develop a recycled suitcase, to become a social entrepreneur and to build a serious company that beat the mountains of trash.

Two years later We Beat The Mountain was established. We aim to create, produce and sell functional products of recycled and re-used materials in a global market. By creating and producing our products we take into account every detail of the product, including the yarns, zippers and labels. Our products have a cool, sustainable and powerful look with a playful twist. Our mission is to change all trash into something useful and create awareness around the value of trash.

We Beat The Mountain is more than a brand of sustainable products. It is a symbol and a movement that shows the value of trash. Our movement is powered by people who care about the planet. Together we can greatly impact the world through a network of fans, followers, customers, partners and individuals. You can also join this movement and start making a difference. We won't let the world go to waste.

We Beat The Mountain Foundation

In addition to the We Beat the Mountain Company, we have also established the We Beat the Mountain Foundation. While both share a common dream and are part of a movement to tackle the mountains of trash worldwide, they work toward that dream in slightly different manners.

The We Beat the Mountain Company is a profit generating business entity. It sells products made from mostly recycled materials that mix function and design. It also offers services to other business in an inspirational or advisory capacity.

The We Beat the Mountain Foundation is a non-profit entity that seeks to make more people aware of the value of trash. Through sponsorship and subsidies, it performs three major functions. First, it organizes We Beat the Mountain Day, which is a annual festival that uses artists and educators to inform our communities about waste. Secondly, the Foundation engages in material research and seeks to develop new ideas on how to reuse or recycle discarded materials. Lastly, the Foundation educations in schools ranging from primary schools to business universities, to help children change their behavior toward waste or to guide entrepreneurs improve their business models using sustainability methods.