Sustainability, midnight shopping and a car-free Stuttgart.
ReCup in Stuttgart
Early this month, the city of Stuttgart announced the partnership with ReCup, a reusable takeout cup company that allows you to return a finished cup and receive the deposit of one euro. Or more easily put, “Pfandbecher.”
Take out coffee cups are not recyclable because the insides are coated with plastic (to keep your beverage warm, not your fingers), not to mention the trees that must be put down to produce them. More than 50 companies around the city have decided to join the movement, which is a “strong signal,” according to Stuttgart mayor Fritz Kuhn. He also jokingly mentionedd that the “Swabians will surely return the cup.” Talk about a wink wink.
I love this. Such a great idea, if it works, of course. I also love how pretty the cups are because who are we kidding, who remembers all those female celebrities holding their Starbucks cups in paparazzi shots in the late 90s? Style matters, people.
You can find a map of restaurants, cafes and bakeries who have started to use the ReCup system here or on their app. For more info on how the city is trying to keep itself clean, visit here for more events, programs and campaigns.
Stuttgart City Lights and Einkaufsnacht
Stuttgart will light up with various illuminations on Oct. 26, along with events, live music shows, fireworks and not to mention Einkaufsnacht, where most of the shops around the city center will be open until midnight.
I always wonder during these events, why don’t they open shops until later than 8 p.m.? So many people are out shopping, no need to rush and it would be so nice if they could maybe close a wee bit later than 8 p.m. Sigh. For now, the Einkaufsnacht will have to do. Happy shopping!
Markt der Völker
More than 60 exhibitors from around the world will join together for a special Markt der Völker, or Folk Market. You’ll get to experience the arts and crafts, culture and food from various countries, including workshops, events, performances and everything in between.
I would personally be excited for the food as there will be various stalls representing Ghana, Mexico, Hungary, Italian, Japanese and more. Yum.
The event takes place Oct. 31 to Nov. 3 at Pheonixhalle im Romerkastell (free parking). Tickets are seven euros, kids under 12 enter for free. For more info, visit here.
Car-free Stuttgart
The mayor of Stuttgart does seem interested in keeping the city clean and green: First ReCup and now keeping the city center car-free. Fritz Kuhn announced that he wants to ban cars from the city center as soon as possible, hopefully before 2030. According to a press release, Kuhn stated the importance of keeping the city free of cars and the effective use of railroads and buses.
He did state that it would be a “tough fight” because Stuttgart is historically known as a “car city.” But with more traffic entering the city center and naturally other problems like accidents and pollution, this does seem like an option.
We most recently got a car because of G’s work (I don’t drive at all), and when we have to drive around the city center for whatever reason, I always do ask myself, “why did we bring the car?” The parking around the city center is quite expensive and very difficult to find, while the parking spaces outside are usually small and it’s just an overall hassle. Stuttgart is a great city to live without a car, and although I don’t know how realistic this car-free movement can be, I still think it’s a great possibility.
For more information on the car-free movement, read here or this article.
Das Gerber
Not sure if you’ve been to the second floor of shopping mall Das Gerber, but it’s a bit…sad. Which is a pity because I really do like Das Gerber and some of their shops, including Søstrene Grene or the newly opened Rothaus, but it’s hard to not notice how empty and depressing some stores can be.
The company that runs Das Gerber has decided to convert the second floor space for offices as sales have been dwindling. I’m a bit worried because does this mean there’s also a possibility they will close das Gerber altogether? Noooooo.
- Other news, tours and events in Stuttgart, visit here.
ReCup photos courtesy of ReCup. Rest rachelsanghee.