K&R Landscape 2 Abbott St #513 | Woburn MA 01801 | 1-781-272-6104 |

Alternatives to Salting Your Drive and Walkways.

Hi Roger-

What’s the best way to keep my driveway and walkways safe in the winter without damaging the ecosystem around my home?

The traditional salt application is a simple, cheap and effective way to eliminate ice in your driveways and sidewalks but it does have its drawbacks. It’s corrosive and can irritate your skin and your pets’ paws. It also ends up making its way into groundwater, altering its chemistry. If you have plants and grass near heavily treated areas, they can also be collateral damage.

I would have two suggestions for someone looking for alternatives—one would be to blend your salt/ ice melt with sand to lower the salt burden and add some traction to your driveways. Also, there are some more earth friendly alternative ice melts out there. I’ve noticed “Safe Paw” mentioned multiple times by our clients. I’ve also seen some other, unusual ideas to naturally remove ice including alfalfa and beet juice!

-Roger