The Bottle Collector
When I first arrived in the city I was kind of surprised by Berlin’s casual drinking culture. If you’re going somewhere it’s not unusual to take a beer with you for along the way, even bringing an open container with you on the subway. I also quickly learned that it’s common practice not to throw your empty bottle in the trashcan, but rather to leave it, underneath the bin, so that someone can easily come and collect the deposit. Who are these deposit collectors and why do they collect?
Pfand - Deposit
Pfandsammler - Deposit collector
Pfandgeben.de - Website for disposal of empty bottles
Kreuzberg - where all the hip kidz live
Kiez - (Neighbor)hood
Maybachufer - Casual hangout for many Berliners
Ankerklause - Cafe/Bar on the Maybachufer
Spießig - Bourgeois
Odobenus Rosmarus - Legendary Beast
Thanks to:
Sebastian Moser and his dissertation ‘Pfandsammler'
Valerie and Armin for telling me about their experiences
Music by:
Mark Schilders, LY Foulidis and Svetnik
Photo by Manus Browne