Although there is no blanket ban on the use of road salt in Germany, most cities and municipalities have banned it through decrees and mandate the use of more environmentally friendly means. The decrees usually contain a list of permitted ways of treating pavements and roads.
The German Association for the Protection of Nature and Biodiversity (NABU) advocates that road salt should not be used even in the fight against black ice, which is a very dangerous phenomenon. It is an extremely thin layer of ice that covers the road and is undetectable by the human eye.
“From our point of view, the most ecological solution is mechanical cleaning, because the less snow that remains on the ground, the less material is needed for its disposal,” says Ralf Schmidt, chairman of the NABU branch in Freiburg.
NABU recommends salt-free cushioning materials such as sand, Blue Angel eco-branded sand, gravel or lava granules. “Trees, soil, pets are protected,” says Schmidt.
Violating the ban on the use of road salt is not worth it, as there is a risk of high fines from 500 to 10,000 euros (12,000 to 242,000 crowns).
The reality, however, strongly diverges from the recommendations of ecologists. The German Meteorological Society warns of slippery roads, drifts and snow tongues, even in areas where snow cover is not usual. For example, in Hamburg, the most snow fell in the last 15 years. And more flurries are expected during Thursday, when another 30 centimeters of new snow is expected to fall between Hamburg and Berlin.
In Hamburg, the transport authority has already lifted the ban on the use of road salt on pavements until January 21 due to the constant alternation of frost, thaw and snow. And other cities are dealing with it in a similar spirit.
