Alright so this might be a bit of a haphazard Greenservations post... but I've had a trying day so bear with me. The theme of this Greenservation is 'Lebensmittelläden' or in English 'grocery stores'. A lot of differences exist between German grocery stores and grocery stores in the USA, and most all of them have a tie-in with environmental responsibility.
First, the stores here are smaller but more frequently located than in the US. There is a more limited selection of products, but no body minds at all (who really needs 35 different types of cereal anyway?!). Since most Germans rely on walking or public transport, stores have to be situated nearby. Smaller stores mean less energy to maintain, and less products mean less transportation required to get products from origin to plate. Both these points contribute to lower carbon footprints.
Along with the first point, grocery stores (and most all stores) in Germany have way fewer hours of operation than those in the states. They'll typically open around the same time in the morning, but in the evening, German stores close by 6pm (8pm if you're lucky!). Why is this green? Less hours of operation mean less energy required to keep the store running (lights, registers, etc), thus reducing the carbon footprint further.
The last main difference between grocery stores in Germany and the US is that in Germany, you have to BYOSB - bring your own shopping bags. I personally love this difference because I hate those cheap, flimsy grocery bags that no one knows what to do with (other than use them to pick up dog poop, or store stinky soccer cleats). Reusable bags are awesome because they eliminate the need for wasteful plastic bags that ultimately end up as litter or garbage.
Also, Germans love organic food. That greenservation is pretty self explanatory.
Some other differences that don't necessarily have to do with being green... The prices you see in Germany are the prices you pay. Tax is included in all prices so your mental math is simplified. Win! Shopping carts don't really exist. If you're at a store where they do, they usually require a monetary deposit to use them. Nutella doesn't cost a million dollars here... and I've found that all groceries are much cheaper here than in the states. Especially delicious cheeses. Double win! All in all, I'm a much bigger fan of German grocery shopping than US grocery shopping. Which style do you prefer?
This Greenservation was inspired because I am currently out of groceries. So you all know what I'll be doing tonight!
First, the stores here are smaller but more frequently located than in the US. There is a more limited selection of products, but no body minds at all (who really needs 35 different types of cereal anyway?!). Since most Germans rely on walking or public transport, stores have to be situated nearby. Smaller stores mean less energy to maintain, and less products mean less transportation required to get products from origin to plate. Both these points contribute to lower carbon footprints.
Along with the first point, grocery stores (and most all stores) in Germany have way fewer hours of operation than those in the states. They'll typically open around the same time in the morning, but in the evening, German stores close by 6pm (8pm if you're lucky!). Why is this green? Less hours of operation mean less energy required to keep the store running (lights, registers, etc), thus reducing the carbon footprint further.
The last main difference between grocery stores in Germany and the US is that in Germany, you have to BYOSB - bring your own shopping bags. I personally love this difference because I hate those cheap, flimsy grocery bags that no one knows what to do with (other than use them to pick up dog poop, or store stinky soccer cleats). Reusable bags are awesome because they eliminate the need for wasteful plastic bags that ultimately end up as litter or garbage.
Also, Germans love organic food. That greenservation is pretty self explanatory.
Some other differences that don't necessarily have to do with being green... The prices you see in Germany are the prices you pay. Tax is included in all prices so your mental math is simplified. Win! Shopping carts don't really exist. If you're at a store where they do, they usually require a monetary deposit to use them. Nutella doesn't cost a million dollars here... and I've found that all groceries are much cheaper here than in the states. Especially delicious cheeses. Double win! All in all, I'm a much bigger fan of German grocery shopping than US grocery shopping. Which style do you prefer?
This Greenservation was inspired because I am currently out of groceries. So you all know what I'll be doing tonight!
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