Here’s what you can do to reduce road salt pollution on your own property:
- Not every surface needs salt. Apply salt only where it’s needed most, such as walkways, steep driveways, and steps.
- Shovel before you step! Clear snow and ice mechanically before applying salt. The less snow and ice there is to melt, the less salt you’ll need.
- Change your mentality – salt is just one of many tools you can use to keep your walkway or driveway safe in winter, it is not the only solution.
- A common misconception is that the more salt you add to a surface the safer it will be, this is not the case. In actuality, it only takes about 12 ounces of salt to cover about 10 squares of a sidewalk, or a 20-foot driveway.
- Prep before the snow even starts. Salt is most effective when it’s applied before the storm.
- It’s important to remember that salt doesn’t work below 15 degrees. At temperatures that low adding any more salt would be wasteful. It’s better to use sand in that situation.
- Try to spread your salt as evenly as possible, as any salt clumps will result in waste. Additionally, if you see any salt crystals left over after the storm then you have put out too much and can adjust for next time!
- Clean up after the snow is done. Reusing any left over salt for the next storm can help the environment and save you money.
