Okay, this has nothing to do with marketing per-se, but I just got back from spending 10 days in Germany and wanted to comment about it. It was wonderful. I went there once in high school and loved every minute. I’d been craving to go back and now, I had the chance.
I was very impressed with how conscientious the Germans are with their resources. Many homes have solar panels on the roof to heat their water and lower their energy consumption. Everybody recycles paper/plastic/metal/etc. and are careful not to use more than they need. Most cars have a little screen that displays how much mileage you’re getting at any given second. It’s great for adjusting your driving habits to use the least amount of gas.
Also, it is illegal to leave your car idle for more than 30 seconds. In fact, if you leave it running and go into, say…the bank. Chances are someone will turn your car off for you while you’re gone. They don’t do it to be pushy, they just don’t waste anything.
When you go to the supermarket, you take your own (usually cloth) bags with you to carry your purchases home in. When you buy products, they are packaged using the least amount of packaging possible in order to reduce waste.
This has really gotten me thinking. None of these behaviors is very inconvenient. It just requires a new mindset. Upon returning home, I find that I feel guilty when I toss my plastic sandwich baggy into the garbage. Why do I even use a baggy? Why not just use a Tupperware container so I don’t make more waste?
I wish we as Americans were more conscientious of how we use our resources. I’m not an environmentalist or anything but I fully support efforts to respect the environment and reduce our waste.
Now…to see if there are any job opportunities in Deutschland.
