Yesterday I arrived in Berlin, and today I walked through the city center, observing and reflecting.
Many years ago, I had visited Frankfurt, but this experience felt completely different.
Berlin is truly a meeting point of cultures.
On every street, you hear different languages, see different faces, and feel different ways of living coexisting in one place.
Since it was the weekend:
- The streets were full of people
- Many young people and families were outside
- Long queues formed in front of cafés for breakfast
What stood out to me was the lifestyle of the younger generation.
It seems more common here to spend time outside having coffee, socializing, enjoying the day rather than staying at home.
But what surprised me the most was something else…
The amount of waste.
To be honest, I never expected to see so much visible trash in a major European city.
People were relaxing in the sun next to litter,
some were collecting waste,
and others were even sleeping on the streets.
All of this existing side by side felt like a contradiction.
It made me wonder:
Can a society truly call itself developed if it hasn’t solved its waste problem?
I also noticed:
- Not enough waste separation bins
- Some gaps in urban organization and infrastructure
At the same time, there are also very good solutions in place.
For example, Berlin has a deposit system (Pfand):
- People return plastic bottles to machines
- They receive money back in return
In the Czech Republic, beer bottles are commonly returned,
but here even plastic bottles are part of the system.
This is a great example of turning waste into a resource.
✍️ Reflection
Berlin is:
- Vibrant
- Diverse
- Full of energy
But also:
- Facing real challenges
- Still dealing with visible waste issues
What I realized is this:
Clean cities are not only about individual behavior
they are a reflection of systems, policies, and urban design.
