“25c Is a Lot Here”: South African Man in Germany Shows How Recycling Bottles Gets Him Groceries

• A South African man named Kamvelihle Kondlo, who lives in Germany, shared that recycling a few plastic bottles allowed him to buy himself a few grocery items
• He explained to his online followers how the process worked and showed what he bought at a supermarket
• Some social media users shared their experiences recycling in Germany, while others noted that it was a great idea
• Briefly News contacted Kamvelihle, who spoke about recycling culture in Germany and the most money he made from recycling

A young South African man living in Germany shared how trash could instantly become treasure. The traveller recycled a bag of plastic bottles and used the money he received to buy groceries for a tasty meal.

On 26 August, 2025, Kamvelihle, an international Weltwärts volunteer in the European country, told online viewers on his TikTok account:

"If you return these bottles to the nearest supermarket, you get 25c per bottle. 25c is a lot here!"

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Kamvelihle placed the bottles inside a machine and said:

"I'm hoping for at least €3 (approximately R62) so that I can buy some chicken."

The young man received €7 (approximately R145) for his efforts and bought a small packet of raw chicken breast strips and a tub of butter. He noted that the store didn't have enough spices, so it is unknown if he added that to the list of groceries. Kamvelihle also gave in to temptation and bought himself a sweet treat.

Recycling culture in Germany

Kamvelihle has been living in Germany for the past year after partaking in an internship for an organisation called Masifunde Bildungsförderung, which focuses on facilitating discussions on Global education.

He told Briefly News that recycling bottles was a normal part of day-to-day life and is neither shamed, applauded, nor praised.

"It's so accessible because you can recycle bottles in every supermarket or retailer and use the ticket to get money for groceries. There's also a 25c tax on the bottles you buy here, so it's basically like collecting the money you paid for and encouraging others to pick up any trash on the street for a couple of euros."

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Regarding the most money he made from recycling, Kamvelihle shared that he earned himself €11, roughly R226.

"I had collected all of my bottles over my first months of living here and used them to buy some pasta, vegetables, drinks, and other essentials."

Recycling in Germany intrigues South Africans

Several South Africans took to Kamvelihle's comment section to express their thoughts about the European country's recycling system.

@thembikhanyile___ exclaimed to online users:

"Oh, my goodness. I hate going to the supermarket with my bottles!"

@boitshepo_moloto wrote in the comment section:

"This is so great and very inspiring. I know there are many South Africans living and studying abroad who are struggling financially. This is a very good way to help themselves keep afloat. Please share more."

@naledi__s laughed and shared their recycling experience:

"I lived in Germany, and my friend and I used to do this and use the money exclusively to buy make-up and beauty products."

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@dibbiedap stated what they would have done with the money:

"Bro got about R150. I would’ve bought McDonald’s or KFC."

@leighlin86 said to people on the internet:

"Literally 0,25€ is really a lot. They don’t know."

@its_me_kn6 told the online community:

"I live in Switzerland. You have to use this system because we pay 20CHF (R441) for 10 trash bags. So you make sure your bags are filled with what you can't recycle. However, you don't get money back here for bottles."

Take a look at the TikTok video below:

3 Other stories about recycling

• In another article, Briefly News reported that a man from Soweto showcased how he built a recycling business from his backyard. He shared that he has dreams of one day opening a recycling plant.
• A young woman shared her incredible story of her mother building a home using the funds from recycling trash. South Africans praised the inspiring woman's dedication and hard work.
• A South African woman demonstrated how to recycle soap scraps into a new bar. However, social media users had mixed feelings about the process, with some questioning the time-consuming method.

Source: Briefly News