HANNAH SARTIN rarely dumps a plastic wrapper or paper ball as trash. At 32, she owns Munich's first zero-waste shop and has published a book that offers tips on a sustainable lifestyle. MARKUS WANZECK meets her on a cool, hazy morning over coffee where she surprises him by pulling out a steel cup from her bag to take away her cappuccino.
What makes your shop different from others?
Unlike other grocery shops in Germany, where you find cereals, corn, nuts or pasta in packets, we keep them in glass dispensers. Besides bringing their own cotton bags, customers carry their own cases or boxes for weighing the goods. The same goes for fruits and vegetables. Since shampoos come in plastic bottles, we choose to sell hair soaps. Milk and milk products like yoghurt as well as cooking and baking oil products are sold in glass bottles that can be returned for a refund.
What gave you this idea?
It is hard to lead a life without garbage. I remember when I first took my own cotton bag and box to our favourite organic shop, the vendor at the bread counter praised me enthusiastically, but people at the cheese counter said that I am not allowed to use my own box, for hygiene reasons. So, I just bought the bread and a few vegetables. Overcoming these daily hardships was my main motivation to open the shop. A lot of our friends told us how much they wanted to pursue a lifestyle like ours but could not imagine coping with all the hassles involved. So, we started a crowdfunding initiative to raise funds for our shop, and people lent us more than €50,000! We opened the shop in February 2016.
In Germany, there is a system of waste separation. Plastic packaging, for example, is collected and recycled. It becomes a raw material for new products. So, why despise waste?
Denne historien er fra January 16, 2018-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra January 16, 2018-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
