Germans Care about Recycling

As we approach the end of our study broad trip, there are a few things I have noticed that really stuck out to me. One of these things was how big Germans are on recycling. They have public trashcans with four different compartments for efficient recycling. The different compartments consist of paper, waste, glass, and packaging. These trashcans can be found in train stations, subway stations, and other public facilities or buildings. Homes in Germany are also extremely recycling-friendly. While being in Brannenburg and walking through the town, I have noticed a commonality in home driveways with three, sometimes four, trashcans occupying them. Typically, the trashcans are different colors, each representative of a different recyclable material. It fascinates me that homes and the government care so much about reducing waste and reusing what they can. What I found most intriguing, however, was the observation that all the factories and companies we toured waste little to no materials. For example, when we toured Krones, if a bottle was broken it was sent back to the company that they got it from so it could be reused or recycled properly. When we toured BMW Welt, leftover paint that was used to spray the cars was washed away with water. Then, the paint would be separated from the water and sent back to the paint companies BMW originally received it from. This ensured that the paint wouldn’t go to waste and could be used from painting lines on roads among other things. On each tour we went on, our tour guide devoted at least a handful of minutes explaining how the company recycled and reused various materials throughout their manufacturing process. Not only do German citizens and the government care about recycling, but companies do too.