#passthepicklejuice

Rock salt is one of the most effective deicing substances for roads and sidewalks during the winter season, but it poses some serious dangers to our ecosystem. The 2014 U.S. Geological Survey indicated 84% of northern U.S. streams have toxic levels of chloride (and rock salt is sodium chloride). So like most things, too much of it is a bad thing.

By the same process rock salt lowers the freezing point of snow and ice, alternative salty solutions can help ease the environmental impact while keeping roads safe. 

Many municipalities use a mixture of sand and rock salt to help with traction on the roads, but for smaller surface areas (like a sidewalk), having sand on hand can be enough. Sand absorbs sunlight which helps to melt snow and ice if applied on top of the fallen snow.

They say a good idea always starts with a cup of coffee, and repurposing your morning brew might be the best idea yet! Like sand, coffee grounds will absorb sunlight, retain heat and also provide a non-slip surface.  

Recent experimental deicing solutions has Bergen County in New Jersey stocking up on…pickle juice?

You read that right! One of the strangest alternatives, it can melt ice at temperatures as low as -6 degrees Fahrenheit or -21 degrees Celsius. 

Smelly? You bet, but a plentiful resource, indeed. Depositing less chloride into the environment than rock salt, pickle lovers around the world can collect spare brine over time and use it at home, eliminating waste and protecting wildlife, water, and humans from the harm of too much chloride!