Rescue deposit glass at street festivals

Pfand back into the loop: not the grey bin

At parades and mega-events, returnable glass often misses the deposit system. Zero Waste Köln volunteers collect bottles so they reach supermarkets and breweries instead of residual waste or incineration.

What you can do

• Join parade and festival glass collections, email aktionen@zerowastekoeln.de
• Bring gloves and sturdy bags; many collectors focus on plastic, glass needs extra hands

Recent impact (from their project stories)

• Sülzer Veedelszug 2025: ~600 bottles with KG Grüne Rheinfunken (logistics: Gaffel).
• Cologne Pride 2025: ~6,500 bottles with Rheinfunken, Cradle2Cradle, Zukunft feiern, Grüngürtelrosen, Veedelperlen.
• gamescom festival: 120 beer crates of empties with Feiermacher.

Why it matters

Every bottle returned to Pfand keeps glass in the brewery loop instead of residual waste or street litter after mega-events.

Source & repost

Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. Background: Zero Waste Schweif: glass tips · Example event: CSD glass collection · Organiser: Zero Waste Köln e.V.