It’s that time of year again… Let the shoveling, scraping, and salting begin!

Salt of the Earth

This winter, green your route salting. Rock salt (Sodium Chloride), Calcium Chloride, Magnesium Chloride, and Urea (or carbamide) are the main four ingredients in most chemical de-icing products, all of which have their own set of environmental issues. The most commonly used alternative is Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA), and though most will say that CMA is not a water pollutant, it does run the risk of depleting oxygen levels in water bodies (lakes, rivers, etc.) in large quantities. However, as CMA is not very mobile in soil and is biodegradable, it does not get absorbed into precipitation the same way that other deicing agents do, so this risk is very low.

Another alternative option is a product like Safe Paw, which is chemically similar to urea but contains nitrate-inhibitors that bind its nitrates to soil and keep it out of the water supply, making it more pet, child and environmentally safe.

But really it’s very easy (and cost effective!) to make your own de-icer!
Pour this mixture where you would normally sprikle salt- your front porch, driveway, sidewalk, etc.

Mix 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol, 1 litre of water, and a bit of biodegradable and all natural dish soap. If you make it up in the morning (takes all of five minutes), use hot water so that the ice melts faster.

This also makes a good windshield de-icer, but too much alcohol can cause paint loss on you car’s hood, so don’t use too much. Keep it in a spray bottle so you can control how much you use when you’re scraping off your car.

If you’re short on time, check out these environmentally friendly de-icing products:
Environmelt (CMA; by Kissner)
Cryotech CMA (by Cyrotech Deicing Technology)
Safe Paw

Green de-icing tips:
❅ If you know there is going to be especially bad weather, put a little bit of your de-icer down before it snows — that way you won’t need to use as much de-icer the next day.

❅ Do your best to clear the snow right away. If snow melts and refreezes it often turns into ice, and needs a de-icer.

❅ If you have an area like your front porch that you don’t want to get icy, cover it with a plastic sheet as it starts snowing. Just make sure to pick up the sheet quickly after it stops snowing so it doesn’t freeze in place.

These tips courtesy of Lauren Sweetman - Thanks!