Around 6 million revelers from across the globe are expected to cram into the beer halls of Munich during the 2024 Oktoberfest, which starts September 21 and continues for over two weeks.

But while the 189th edition of the iconic folk festival will see its boisterous guests drink over 5.6 million liters of beer — sourced from six local brewers — and consume tons of oxen, potato salad and sauerkraut, the event continues to update its image to match the times.

Oktoberfest has long sought to reduce its environmental footprint by embracing clean energy and sorting and recycling its epic waste — even kitchen and food waste is collected separately and composted.

The outsized consumption of alcohol, food and energy at the Munich fairgrounds is balanced by the near exclusive use of renewable electricity created by sun and the wind, while carbon-free biogas also helps to power the event. The festival claims to be on the way to carbon neutrality by lowering the emissions that help fuel climate change.

Disposable, non-recyclable plates and cutlery have been banned since way back in the 1990s, while the sale of drinks in cans is also prohibited — festival goers pay a deposit on their glass beer steins, which are washed on return for reuse.

And the measures........

© Deutsche Welle