FAQ
Lead times & Shipping costs
How much time does it take to process my order?
Generally your order will be shipped in 1-2 working days. For the Netherlands orders placed on weekdays before 14:00 will be shipped the same day and delivered the next working day. For all other countries orders will be shipped the same day, if the order has been placed before 14:00. For delivery times please see the next question.
(Update March 2020) - Current lead times: Orders are currently processed as usual.
When will I receive my order?
Depending on where the order has to be delivered, delivery will take place in 1-5 working days. For the following countries the following delivery times apply:
- Great Britain: 3-5 working days
- The Netherlands: 1-2 working days
- Belgium: 1-2 working days
- France: 2-4 working days
- Germany: 2-3 working days
- Austria: 2-3 working days
- Denmark: 3-5 working days
Please note that these lead times apply for most orders that are shipped as parcel(s). Large orders, consisting of 10 or 15 cases or more, will be shipped per pallet. For pallet shipments please allow 1 extra working day for delivery.
After your order has been shipped, you will receive a track and trace email from us with which you can track your order. Please check the tracking information if you want to know when your order will be delivered.
Is it possible to check the current status of my order?
If you have ordered through your customer account, you can always check the status in your account. These are the following status that you will see:
Pending = Waiting for your payment.
Processing = Your order is being processed and will be shipped in 1-2 working days.
Complete = Your order has been shipped and should be with you in a couple of working days.
If you have ordered with us without an account and the order has been paid, your order will be shipped in 1-2 working days.
After your order has been shipped, you will receive a track and trace email from us with which you can track your order. Please check the tracking information if you want to know when your order will be delivered.
Do I need to pay shipping costs?
The shipping costs (ex. VAT) per order are:
- Great Britain: € 15,00
- The Netherlands: € 3,95
- Germany: € 3,95
- Belgium: € 3,95
- France: € 9,00
- Austria: € 9,00
- Denmark: € 9,00
If you order in larger quantities we can offer free shipping to certain countries. Please see below from what minimum order value we can offer this:
- NL/BE/DE = € 250,00 (ex. VAT)
- FR = € 450,00 (ex. VAT)
- DK = € 500,00 (ex. VAT)
For other countries free shipping is unfortunately not available at the moment.
For some remote areas, such as islands, our shipping partners can apply a surcharge which we will add to the shipping costs.
We also ship to other European countries. Please contact us for a quote.
Do you offer express delivery?
Yes, we do offer express shipments through multiple parcel carriers at extra costs. These costs are determined by the day and time at which you need your order to be delivered. Please be aware that we would need your order, contact details and payment before 11:00 so we can ship the order the same day. For options and pricing please contact our customer service.
Delivery
(Update March 2020) - When placing your online order, please keep in mind that the delivery service provider DPD may have certain service restrictions or that opening hours of delivery locations may differ from normal business hours.
Is it possible to see or change the time of delivery?
Orders are shipped with DPD. DPD delivers from Monday to Friday between 09:00 and 18:00. To check the ETA please use the track and trace information that has been sent to you. Please note that, since DPD makes the delivery planning, we do not have any influence on delivery times.
What will happen when I am not there to accept the delivery?
Don't worry. If you are not at home or at your place of business when your order is being delivered DPD will leave a note and will automatically try again the next working day. If the second delivery attempt is unsuccessful, your order will be sent to the nearest pickup point for you to collect at a later moment, DPD will leave a note with instructions. Please note that your order will be kept there for 1 week maximum. After that the order will automatically be returned to our warehouse.
Can I add a different delivery address?
Of course! During the ordering process you can define an alternative delivery address in the checkout. When you have chosen an alternative delivery address, the order and packing slip will be sent to this address. On the packing slip no prices are mentioned. The invoice will be sent to the invoice (email) address.
Can I pick up my order at your warehouse or at a collection point?
Unfortunately our warehouse is not set up to receive customers for the collection of orders. If you want to have your order delivered at a parcel pickup shop, please talk to our customer service.
Can my order be delivered at a festival, event or fair location?
Yes, this is possible but in our experience it can be quite difficult. This is due to the fact that a lot of (bigger) events employ strict security measures regarding goods coming into the event. Also our shipping partners can often only deliver up to the entrance of the event. If you want to have your order delivered at a festival, event or fair, please contact our customer service to see which options are available.
Is it possible to receive my order on the weekend?
The standard delivery days of DPD are Monday through Friday. In the Netherlands and Belgium DPD also offers Saturday delivery though this is not a standard option. We have noticed that a lot of deliveries on Saturday are not successful. DPD often skips addresses and delivers on Monday or delivers straight to a pick-up point. Sunday deliveries are not possible unfortunately.
Is it possible to deliver my order in Switzerland or Norway?
Due to the customs and tax regulations, as well as the necessary paperwork, we cannot offer delivery in Switzerland and Norway. We do however offer the option to send your order to a packing station at the French, German, Austrian or Swedish border from where you can import the goods yourself. Please contact our customer service to make the necessary arrangements.
Samples
Do you offer sample packages?
It is certainly possible to order one or more samples of our products. That way you can have a look and test our products first before you buy them. The samples are of course free of charge, we only ask for compensation for the shipping costs; a fixed amount of € 6,00. If you order with us this amount will be discounted on your first order. Please note that for large numbers of samples an additional fee can be requested. The shipping of samples lasts generally no longer than 1-4 working days, depending on the country of delivery. If a sample is not on stock at the time of your request, delivery may take a little longer. Samples are sent from our head office and can therefore not be combined with actual orders.
To order samples please write us an email with the following details: which products you would like to receive as sample, the invoice and delivery address and a confirmation that you agree with the shipping costs. From there we will process your request, prepare and dispatch the samples and send you a confirmation.
Stock
How can I check if a product is on stock?
Generally we keep a large stock of the products in our assortment. You can check the stock status of a product by going to the product page. Below the product title you will see the stock status of the specific product.
(Update March 2020) - There is enough stock and the stock status on the website is up to date.
The product I want to order is not on stock. How can I find out when it will be back?
Although we forecast our sales and plan our purchases, it can happen that a product is out of stock. We will try to get it back on stock as soon as possible. If a product is out of stock for a prolonged period of time we will communicate this on the website. If you would like to know more specifically when a product comes back in stock, send us an e-mail with the article number and we’ll be happy to help you.
Ordering
How do I place an order?
Businesses and private customers can order with us, ordering is very easy!
- Choose a category and pick the product(s) you’d like to order.
- Enter the quantity (please note: most of our products are sold in packages).
- Confirm by clicking ‘Add to Cart’.
- Have you added all your products to your shopping cart?
Please go to your shopping cart. - Please enter the required information in the order form such as Name, Delivery Address etc. Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are compulsory fields and must be filled out.
- After you have entered your details, select your payment method and follow the instructions.
- After the payment is fulfilled, the order will be confirmed. An order confirmation will be send to the email address you have provided.
Please contact us if you need more help or still have questions.
Which payment methods can I use?
Credit cards
If you choose to pay by credit card the payment is made in the secure internet environment of our payment provider Multisafepay. Only VISA and Mastercard are accepted. Please have your card number and CVC code at hand. A PIN or SecureCode can also be requested during the transaction. After the payment is completed it takes a few minutes to automatically process your payment. Your order will be processed immediately.
PayPal
You also can pay with your PayPal account. PayPal is either linked to your bank account or credit card. The payment is made in a secure internet environment. After the payment is completed it takes a few minutes to automatically process your payment. Your order will be processed immediately.
Bank Transfer / Pay in advance by bank transfer
If you choose to pay through bank transfer, please transfer the total amount of your order to the specified bank account number. You can find the bank details in the PDF of the order confirmation. Any payment must clearly indicate the invoice number. Please also note that the payment should be made after the order is placed; single payments cannot be processed correctly. Please note that payment by bank transfer might take a few days to reach our bank account. After receipt of the payment, the order will be promptly processed. If you don’t wish to wait, then you can send us a valid proof of payment of your bank per email. Please find our bank details below:
Account holder: Bio Futura BV
IBAN: NL97 RABO 0325282668
BIC: RABONL2U
Bank Transfer / Paying on invoice
Specific companies and organisations such as schools, local authorities and government agencies, who regularly order with us, can pay on invoice. The invoice will be exclusively sent to the email address provided. For more information about this service contact our customer service.
Automatic pre authorized debit / SEPA
If you regularly order with us, you can request that we automatically process the payments of our invoices. This is done via our bank and through a pre authorized debit from your side. This means that after 14 days we will automatically deduct the required invoice amount from your account. This way you will have more time to concentrate on your own business and you will never miss a payment to us. If you are interested, please contact our customer service.
I work for a company or governmental organisation that can only pay by invoice, can this be arranged?
Specific large companies and organisations such as schools, local authorities and government agencies, who regularly order with us, can pay on invoice. Please send us an email with the request that you would like to pay on invoice. From there we will send you a registration form so that we can enter your data in our system. After we have processed the form we can accept your order(s) on invoice. If you need your order fast, we would advise using another payment method.
Is it possible to place an order by phone or email?
We like to encourage our customers to order through our website. Ordering this way is easy and fast and makes for quicker processing. Please contact our customer service if you want to order by email.
Is it necessary to fill in a VAT number at the check-out?
If you are a business customer and you are based in another European country than the Netherlands we recommend that you fill in your international VAT number. Because we ship our products from the Netherlands, we then can offer to ship the order without VAT according to the tax regulations for intra-Community delivery of goods. If you fill in a valid VAT number, the VAT will be automatically deducted from your order.
The VAT regulation for intra-Community delivery of goods, is only applicable for businesses. If you are a private consumer you do not need to fill in this field.
What does "PO number" mean and is it a mandatory field?
A PO number (Purchase Order number) is often used by companies so that they can connect purchases with orders and invoices. If you enter your PO number here, it will automatically appear on the order confirmation and invoice. You are not required to fill in a PO number.
Products
Is it possible to order the products with a customised print?
Yes, most of our products can be customised with your own print. Please note that minimum order quantities apply. For more information on customising our products, have a look here.
Are all products biodegradable and compostable?
Yes, all disposables and packaging we sell are biodegradable, they are also compostable which is even better. For example, plastics made from oil do not degrade but only disintegrate into more smaller particles. These particles are known as micro plastics. With composting, in an industrial composting facility, the product biodegrades in 9-12 weeks into water, CO2 and biomass, leaving nothing more behind. For more detailed information on the compostability of our products, please read more here.
After use, what is the most sustainable way to throw away your products?
Our products can be discarded in a few different ways. We encourage customers to discard our products together with food scraps through organic waste streams. That way our products are composted and it will close the loops. Please check with your local waste collection company what their rules are concerning certified compostable products.
If composting is not possible you can decide to discard our products though the regular household waste. This waste is usually incinerated. Because our products are made from natural raw materials, the raw material absorbed the CO2 as a plant. When our products are incinerated they emit no toxins and the CO2 is compensated from when it still was a plant.
How long does it take for a product to fully degrade?
Our products are biobased or compostable according to the European standard for compostability: EN-13432. This means that our products will fully degrade, in an industrial composting facility, within 9-12 weeks. Read more about the EN-13432 compostability certification here.
Can I also buy sustainable shipping cartons?
No, we do not sell sustainable shipping cartons. There are numerous packaging wholesalers that sell shipping cartons made from FSC® or PEFC cardboard.
Returns
Is it possible to return my order?
Yes, this is possible for private customers. For companies, associations and organisations the return policy does not apply. After receiving your order from Bio Futura BV you have 14 days to return the product(s). During this period you can return the purchased product(s) unused, undamaged and complete in the original packaging. If the order is a personalised and/or customised product made in accordance with your specifications or has been especially ordered for you, then we unfortunately can’t accept the return shipment. Due to food safety and hygiene, only unopened, unused and originally packed products can be returned. Customers are responsible for all return shipping charges. In case of a mis-delivery, Bio Futura BV will bear the costs. These conditions guarantee a refund of the products that are accurately returned to our warehouse. We aim to minimise our environmental impact and, therefore, we would like to point out that the return (transport) of products will negatively affect the carbon footprint, please keep this in mind when returning products. Upon return of goods, the general terms and conditions of Bio Futura BV will be applied. Please email us if you want to return your order.
I placed an order for a business. Is it possible to return my order?
For companies, associations and organizations we do not offer returns.
Are there costs for returning my order?
Yes, costs for returning products to our warehouse in the Netherlands are for the customer. For customers outside of the Netherlands it can be quite expensive to ship something back to us. Please request a parcel return label from our customer service, this will often cost less than the normal parcel rate.
When will I be refunded after sending my return?
After receipt of your return shipment at our warehouse, it will take a maximum of one week to process your return. Once your return is processed and a credit note is issued, you will receive a refund. Refunds will be processed through the original method of payment. For example: If the original transaction has been charged to your credit card, the refund and/or compensation will also be transferred to your credit card.
Questions & Complaints
How can I contact you when I have a question or a complaint?
Every remark, complaint or question is valuable information for us to continuously improve our products. Please don’t hesitate to contact our customer service if you have any questions about our products, the terms of delivery, availability of products and/or any comments you have.
Your concerns will be taken seriously and we are happy to help you!
What are the opening hours of the customer service?
Our phone lines are open on weekdays (Monday to Friday) from 09:00-17:00, on weekends we are closed. If all lines are occupied please send us an email or try again at a later moment. We strive to answer your email within 1-2 working days.