The Importance of Eco-Friendly Snow Removal Services in Ottawa

The green trend is here to stay and it is starting to pop up in the most unexpected places… like your driveway.

Eco-friendly snow removal is vital to maintaining an environmentally friendly neighbourhood. By contributing to an eco-friendly solution, you are not only helping save the environment, but you are also helping preserve the health of our families, our pets and our buildings.

Did you know that when winter road salt is applied, it remains leached into the environment for decades to come? The winter salt trail can harm everyone from dogs to aquatic ecosystems to soil systems and infrastructure alike. When dogs and cats wander outdoors in the winter, their paws get irritated and after licking their paws these harmless animals can experience dehydration, seizures and even comas. According to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, “ingestion of road salt by eating salt directly, licking salty paws, and by drinking snow melt and runoff can potentially produce effects such as drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, crying, excessive thirst, depression, weakness, low blood pressure, disorientation, decreased muscle function and in severe cases, cardiac abnormalities, seizure, coma, and even death”.

These risks are not exclusive to animals. In fact, when traditional road salt seeps into water systems, it actually becomes corrosive, and can deteriorate infrastructure such as bridges, buildings and even vehicles. Most frighteningly, when road salt seeps into local public water supply wells, the public water systems risk becoming contaminated and impacting the health of our families as well.  While the environmental and health threats are daunting, one local Ottawa snow removal business is transforming its business model to accommodate environmental and healthful living. Here is what to look out for when choosing your private provider for eco-friendly snow removal and snow dumping in Ottawa.

  • Vehicle Maintenance: We use recently upgraded equipment with attachments to minimize machine waste sent to disposal sites and abide by the newest emissions regulations.
  • Fuel Efficient for Vehicles: The fuel efficiency rates for Marsten pick-up fleet averages 10L/100km, and all mowing equipment uses low sulphur diesel reducing carbon emissions.
  • Time-Saving Technology: Most snow removal companies in Ottawa use GPS and satellite tracking systems in their vehicles to give teams the shortest and most cost-effective routes.
  • Recycled and Reclaimed Materials: At Marsten, we actively purchase recycled and reclaimed materials for use in our roads construction division.
  • Salt and Liquid Brine: Marsten manufactures our own liquid brine with salt which results in a 70% reduction in the use of pure salt. Additionally, we use Clearlane salt which provides a lower environmental impact because there is less scatter when using it.

In our rapidly-changing world, it has never been more important to pay attention to the effect that our actions have on the environment. At Marsten, we believe in being as eco-friendly as possible in all our business practices. If you are interested in learning more about our snow removal services in Ottawa including snow dumping, emergency snow removal and salting, contact our team today at www.marsten.ca. We would be happy to inform you about our environmental processes and how they can help you and your business.