EDMONTON – A strategy to reduce salt usage on Edmonton roads and recycle sand is saving millions of dollars and reducing environmental impacts, the city says.
Instead of hauling and dumping 150,000 tonnes of sand used on winter streets every year, the city has been retrieving the material and recycling it, with approximately 80 per cent of the sand being reused the following winter.
“We’ve been able to divert over 1.1 million tonnes of sand over the past 11 years,” said Blair Buchholtz, general supervisor of Aggregate Recycling with Transportation Services. “That represents a cost savings of more than $50 million.”
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In 2010, Sand Salt Mixing Program was launched, which has resulted in a decline from six to four per cent salt in sand put on roadways with no change to performance, according to the city. It said the reduction was made through more accurate mixing methods.
“Reducing both the environmental impact and operating costs are wins for the environment and the taxpayers of Edmonton and the EWMCE is committed to continue working with the city to provide even higher performance efficiencies and cost savings,” said Daryl McCartney, executive director of the Edmonton Waste Management Centre of Excellence.
The City of Edmonton says it’s constantly searching for new ways of providing safe winter driving conditions that are more environmentally and economically sustainable.
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