Munich's winter service relies on cucumber water: environmentally friendly and effective!

Munich's winter service relies on cucumber water: environmentally friendly and effective!

With the first snow, the winter services in Bavaria are ready to keep streets and squares safe. In Munich, they are relying on an environmentally friendly strategy that not only affects the highways, but also the airport. The use of cucumber water as a spreading agent against slippery ice has recently established itself as an innovative solution, Süddeutsche.de reports that this not only protects the environment, but also reduces the use of resources.

Did you know that cucumber water, a salty waste product from cucumber fermentation, is used as a substitute for traditional road salt? According to the ADAC, this approach is increasing rapidly. The use of cucumber brine brings considerable savings: in the winter of 2023/24, 180 tons of road salt and 1.5 million liters of water were saved. The initiative began in Lower Bavaria in 2019 and has since developed into an enormous success story that has now also reached Munich Airport. There, over 2,000 tons of cucumber brine are distributed nationwide during the winter season.

Winter service at Munich Airport

In total, the winter service at Munich Airport looks after almost 800 football fields of flight operations areas. Over 180 vehicles and around 200 employees, many from regional farms, are ready to clear the area of ​​snow and ice. The focus is primarily on mechanical cleaning, with de-icing agents only being used when there is an acute risk of icing. The new, renewable diesel fuel HVO 100, which is made from vegetable oils and waste, is used in operation, which further underlines the sustainable approach.

The teams are deployed both during the day and at night, especially when there is heavy snowfall. Before each flight, a special fleet of vehicles, popularly known as “polar bears”, ensures the necessary de-icing of the aircraft. These measures are crucial to guarantee smooth flight operations. In addition, most of the de-icing agent used is recycled - a further step towards sustainability.

Popularity of cucumber water in Bavaria

The concept of cucumber brine is not just limited to Munich Airport; This environmentally friendly product is also used on many roads. In cooperation with the Develey company and the Bavarian Ministry of Transport, cucumber water is becoming increasingly popular. Because it is not only cost-effective, but also sustainable because it is made from wastewater from cucumber production, not from preserving jars.

The positive outcome of this environmentally friendly measure is pleasing: “1,000 tons of salt water produces 1,100 tons of brine ready for spreading,” according to the ADAC. This impressively shows that the innovative handling of the waste product is not only a creative solution to winter sliding, but also contributes to environmental friendliness and resource conservation.

The winter service is well prepared for all weather conditions and is equipped with weather radar and an early warning system. This is particularly important to ensure safe operation even under extreme conditions. The cucumber water initiative has proven to be a reliable partner in ensuring safety on the streets and at the airport during the cold season.