Friday, 15 November
Kreuzberg’s fast-food frenzy: Increase in Berlin’s trash problems
Kreuzberg’s Bergmannkiez is grappling with a growing trash problem, centered around the viral TikTok hotspot Munchies. Known for its Texas-inspired halal tacos and burgers, the eatery draws lines of up to 1,000 customers daily, according to the business owners, leaving disposable coffee cups, burger boxes and paper napkins strewn along the streets. Residents have reported frustration at the rise in littering, involving themselves in heated debates online and within the community.
Munchies says it’s aware of the issue and is taking steps to address it, including providing bins outside its 26-square-meter storefront and sending staff to clean the surrounding area after closing. “We collect garbage every day,” says one employee. “And after we close here, two more employees go around the whole of Bergmannkiez.”
Despite these measures, tensions have escalated, with employees experiencing continuous threats and vandalism to the store. The shop owner has reported people throwing garbage bags into the store and smearing faeces around it. The Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district confirms the restaurant is meeting its legal obligations, emphasising that customer behavior is largely beyond its control.
Efforts to enforce Germany’s new packaging laws, which encourage reusable containers, haven’t applied to Munchies because there isn’t enough space in the shop to clean reusable containers hygienically. The Berliner Stadtreinigung (BSR) say the real issue lies in personal responsibility, as existing public trash cans are often ignored. Meanwhile, the district has increased littering fines to €55 and ramped up enforcement, but long-term solutions to prevent waste remain elusive.
