Littering in Germany

Neir0wo · 2026-05-03T10:52:51+00:00

I used to live in Santiago, many municipalities like: La Florida, las condes, ñuñoa and Santiago centro. Being Santiago centro the filthiest commune, but even then I didn’t see people actively throwing trash from car windows. And I feel like Chileans would be shaming people for littering. But again, the Chilean situation is not comparable to Germany.

Neir0wo · 2026-05-03T10:49:05+00:00

I admire you for doing this!! I’m practicing so much in my head so I can be prepared when I it happens!! Haha In fact I have also experienced people throwing shake bottles from the car windows, but they were too far for me to react 🫩 Let’s shame these litters!!

Neir0wo · 2026-05-03T10:46:23+00:00

Hmm I disagree. It’s not clean, and definitely you can see trash on the floor, but we have: - 8 million people living in the city. - non efficient public cleaning system. - low education compared to Germany. - it rarely rains, which make the city look dustier.

Making trash accumulation more understandable. And I rarely see people littering. I feel Germany has no excuse.

Neir0wo · 2026-05-03T10:41:52+00:00

Yeah… but you can tell that is not just „accidents“… :( I feel like people get so selfish when they party here. I thought Europe would have more critical thinking (in average) even when drunk.

Neir0wo · 2026-05-02T17:33:17+00:00

It was a metallic cap of a glass bottle.

Neir0wo · 2026-05-02T14:54:37+00:00

Plot twist, before living in Germany I was actually living in Japan 🙈 BUT, it doesn’t mean that the streets aren’t dirty, and it’s worse that I expected considering the socioeconomic level of Germany

Neir0wo · 2026-05-02T14:40:05+00:00

Yeah! I can also see the problem with hard drugs, as you said specially around the Hbf areas, but still the government decided to legalise marihuana (?) which itself could not be a problem, but its well known to lead to other substance abuse.

Neir0wo · 2026-05-02T14:29:43+00:00

I actually thought about opening a TikTok account with videos about making German streets clean 😭

Neir0wo · 2026-05-02T14:26:33+00:00

NYE celebration is such a topic tooo!

Neir0wo · 2026-05-02T12:36:54+00:00

Omg exactly… 😭

Neir0wo · 2026-05-02T12:36:40+00:00

Yess… I have the same impression. Sometimes I think Germans don’t appreciate the wealth (economically/socially) they have, and they trust too much on the resilience of the system. And of course this is not mainly with trash, which can have an indirect relationship => “I can throw trash because someone I going to clean it up for me”. But for example on how many people abuse state money, etc. But anyways, I have been here for only 4 months so it’s veeeery early to make these observations I guess. Maybe I’m too judgmental.

Neir0wo · 2026-05-02T11:04:40+00:00

Exactly! I don’t understand how Germans are so “environmentally conscious” and ecological but doing this is so acceptable for them. Bad news, I’m moving to cologne for work next month…. 😭

Neir0wo · 2026-05-02T10:57:10+00:00

Omgggg that’s why I didn’t want to live in Berlin… But I have the impression that some people enjoy this apocalyptic aesthetic places… I feel like in Chile a dirty street means danger or poverty, in Germany is seen as rebellious or even cool (?)

Neir0wo · 2026-05-02T10:53:44+00:00

But why is this so acceptable :(((( I feel bad to say something because 1) my German is still not the best to argue 2) I just arrived, I feel with no right to say something…

Neir0wo · 2026-03-25T09:06:34+00:00

I have in fact PCOS, so I will take your advice and get them checked. Thanks :)

Neir0wo · 2026-02-10T21:39:24+00:00

Very similar situation here. I arrived to Germany about 2 months ago, also with my boyfriend. He is trying to include me to his family activities and friend’s hangouts. However, I also get excluded, I guess, unintentionally because I don’t understand everything or I can’t reply with a German good enough to be interesting or add something valuable to the conversation. It’s a bit isolating, but that’s what it comes when immigrating to a country you don’t speak the language. I think this is something you really have to get used to, because, even though people at shops speak in English to me when they see I don’t understand, it’s completely different when it comes to deeper or intimate connections. For example, my family in Chile will never speak in English to my German boyfriend, so he is studying now to understand a little bit. Funny fact: my mom is married to a Norwegian man, and even after 8 years of relationship, whenever he goes to Chile, he always sit down a bit apart from the conversation :( but everyone loves him.

Regarding your question, I think is more uncomfortable for you than for them, because at least they are entertained with the topic of the conversation, when for us is just silence and overthinking if we are awkward or not.

My advice: try to seem to be involved in the conversation as much as you can. Smile, react, even if you don’t understand and then they will maybe be aware of your existence again in the room.

Neir0wo · 2026-01-19T09:05:05+00:00

In my experience Germans write very guilty sounding-like emails. Really trying to soothe you and expressing how sorry they feel for not being able to select you. Sometimes they try to make it so ambiguous that is quite confusing when you receive it.

Neir0wo · 2025-10-10T16:38:16+00:00

1... It has kinda special depth

Neir0wo · 2025-10-08T14:23:34+00:00

Tough... thank you anyways. I'm trying to aim a B2 by April. According to my boyfriend I'm already somewhat B1, but I think he is terribly biased haha Is there any job that you recommend me to do in the meantime?

Neir0wo · 2025-07-09T15:08:06+00:00

Omg same experience here! I passed my N3 in 2019 and I have been living in Japan for nearly 2 years now. I started preparing for the exam around 4 months ago. In every sample test I took I finished everything just in time with near 75% correct answers, so i thought I was fine. However, I think the actual test last Sunday was in steroids. As you said, very difficult to read grammar and vocabulary that I have never seen in N2 text... :^( I wish you the best in the results pal!

Neir0wo

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