Pickles. Are they the solution to environmental sustainability? They might just be the solution to an environmental hazard spreading across Ontario, road salt. As the cold creeps back into the air, and the days get shorter, the inevitable freeze is upon us. That means finding solutions to the frozen, snow-covered roads that await. Road salt has been the common answer to this problem, but pickle brine might be a replacement.
Pickle brine has come into conversation as a more environmentally conscious road salt alternative. Though, why do we need an alternative, is road salt really that bad? In short yes, it’s a tool with a time limit. The environmentally conscious among us have brought up questions surrounding the long-term impact of road salt. When we use road salt to clear roads some of that salt ends up entering the water table, effecting the delicate balance of the adjacent ecosystems, potentially harming local wildlife. Salt can buildup in the environment, turning a short-term solution into a long-term problem. This buildup isn’t just threatening to the environment, but can harm the quality of our drinking water. So how does pickle brine help?
