Given everything that’s happening in the world right now—particularly the pandemic and climate change—it’s no wonder that more people are becoming increasingly health and environmentally conscious.
We all want to do our part to leave behind a better world for future generations. It starts with the little things like our methods for snow and ice removal during the wintertime. Conventional snow and ice removal methods like applying harmful chemical-laden ice melters need to go the way of the dodo bird, so that we can reduce our individual carbon footprints and preserve our local ecosystems.
With that in mind, here are some excellent highly effective eco-friendly snow removal alternatives that are guaranteed to get the job done better than or just as well as any commercial ice melter on the market.
Choose Environmentally Friendly Ice Melters
Let’s start with the basics about snow and ice removal. Most commercial ice melters contain a plethora of harmful chemicals that can contaminate local ecosystems and waterways. You might not think about what happens to your ice melter once it dissolves, but it actually has a huge impact on the environment.
Once the melted snow and ice enter into your sewage system, the chemicals in the ice melter go along with it, where it will eventually run off into local lakes, rivers, and other waterways. Moreover, local wildlife can come into contact with it long before that happens as it can stay on your property indefinitely and seep into your grass.
Luckily, there are a number of eco-friendly deicing products on the market that contain less salt. To make up for the lack of salt, these products contain Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA) or magnesium chloride with corn or beet by-products, which are more eco-friendly alternatives to rock salt.
Use Natural Homemade Ice Melters
Believe it or not, eco-friendly snow and ice melting solutions may be a lot more easily accessible than you think! In fact, you might even be able to find them in your kitchen or pantry!
Used coffee grounds are an ideal and environmentally safe alternative for melting snow and ice on your property. Simply dry off the coffee grounds and then lightly sprinkle them throughout your driveway. Coffee grounds naturally attract more heat from the sun, which will quickly melt away snow and ice. Since they’re compostable, coffee grounds won’t do any harm to your grass, plants, or local ecosystem.
Other excellent alternatives that can be found in your home include:
- Sand
- Woodchips
- Birdseed
- Pickle or cheese brine
- Alfalfa meal
- Clay-based unscented kitty litter
A Little Shovelling Goes a Long Way
Shovelling is obviously one of the most eco-friendly methods of removing snow and ice from your property. But it may not always be the most efficient. Depending on the size and layout of your property, shovelling can be extremely time-consuming and feel a lot like a full-fledged workout.
Understandably, sometimes physical restrictions such as disabilities, limited or lack of mobility, back pain, or heart conditions can also prevent people from being able to shovel their own driveways and walkways. If this is the case, then you may want to consider hiring a professional snow removal contractor in your area to keep your property safe and well-maintained during the winter months.
Use Energy-Efficient Snow Removal Equipment
You might think that it doesn’t get much more energy-efficient than shovelling snow or scraping ice off of your driveway or walkway, but that’s not necessarily true. Science has come a long way in terms of developing energy efficient snow blowers that can easily blast freshly fallen snow off of your property.
Gone are the days of requiring gasoline-powered engines that release massive amounts of emissions into the air and your lungs. Modern electric snow blowers are battery-operated and completely free of emissions. These are usually ideal for small to moderately sized properties. If your property is too large for a battery-operated snow blower to be sufficient, then you can opt for a gas-powered four-stroke engine, which is still more energy efficient than a traditional gas-powered snow blower. A great way to save money is to go Dutch on a snow blower with a neighbour. That way, you can both use it as needed and split the cost of maintenance.
Try Heated Snow Melting Pads
Composed of durable thermoplastic materials, heated snow melting pads are an effective eco-friendly snow melting product. They’re designed specifically to be left outside and can withstand prolonged exposure to extremely cold temperatures. Heated snow melting pads run at a low daily operating cost of about $1 per day and they don’t have any impact on the environment whatsoever. They’re capable of melting about two inches of snow on an hourly basis and melt the snow immediately upon contact, making them perfect for use during snowstorms or even light snow days. To save power, you can turn them off when they’re not needed on milder winter days.
Plus, they’re designed with the highest quality electrical safety standards in mind, which means they’re safe for humans, pets, and wildlife.
Consider Installing a Heated Driveway
As the name suggests, a heated driveway is composed of thermal paving materials that are capable of melting snow on impact. It can prevent ice from forming on your property and is extremely low maintenance. Heated driveways work by pumping hot water and antifreeze into the internal mechanisms that lie below the surface of the driveway. You can operate your heated driveway simply by flipping a switch inside your property.
Unfortunately, the high installation and operational costs can be a bit of a deterrent for many property owners in Ontario.
Hire Professional Snow Removal Services in Mississauga and the GTA
At FOREVER GREEN LAWN & LANDSCAPE INC., we understand that many of our residential and commercial clients want to focus on a greener future and that includes adopting more eco-friendly and energy efficient property winter maintenance practices. If you’re looking for a snow removal company in Mississauga and the rest of the GTA that provides high-quality services at an affordable rate, then feel free to book a consultation today!
