Road salt balance: Greenpeace criticizes high amounts in Tyrol and Hesse!

Road salt balance: Greenpeace criticizes high amounts in Tyrol and Hesse!

Across Hesse, the road construction authority Hessen Mobil is preparing for winter by storing an impressive 90,000 tons of road salt. These huge quantities are distributed across 46 road maintenance departments to ensure safety on the state's approximately 15,200 kilometers of roads. The winter service, which mobilizes around 1,000 employees and 390 vehicles, ensures around the clock that the roads remain safe for road users. According to a spokesman for the authority, around 62,500 tonnes of de-icing salt were in use in 2022, with an average of 81,000 tonnes over the last 20 years World reported.

Parallel to the winter preparations in Hesse, Greenpeace has published alarming data on the use of road salt in Austria. The organization examined the amounts of road salt used by cities between 2019 and 2024 and found that Innsbruck used the highest amount at 3.8 tons per kilometer of road. St. Pölten follows with 3 tons, while Linz and Bregenz are also classified in the “red” category with 2.8 and 2.5 tons. This classification leaves worrying traces: a quarter of the salt spread is said to seep into the groundwater and can have serious effects on biodiversity. There are also health risks for pets and potential damage to infrastructure, such as ORF Tyrol reported.

Greenpeace appeals to cities to drastically reduce the use of road salt and prefers clearing roadways. This could be sufficient, particularly in speed-reduced zones. In Innsbruck, the city administration points to increased care in higher-lying parts of the city and plans to modernize the brine system in order to reduce the need for grit. This shows great potential for saving resources while at the same time promoting environmental protection.