Balancing business
and nature
Environmentally conscious snow management requires commitment from all
Common Cause
Partnering for the future
SIMA believes that the use of deicing materials can be proactively managed to ensure that our fresh bodies of water and the ecological diversity they support can continue to thrive long term. To get this done, we need all stakeholders — snow contractors, their customers and subject matter experts — to work together for a common cause.
How can this be achieved?
Perfect the practice - SIMA will continue to build and share standards, best practices, and training programs to help focus on reducing salt use without compromising safety and service.
Advocate for sensible policies - The snow and ice management industry is critical to the economy, and any government actions and policies must take into account the businesses that drive success.
Take a science-first approach - Quality research will empower all stakeholders to understand the nuances of salt science and application and how they impact freshwater ecosystems, with an emphasis on mitigating the adverse effects of deicing chemicals on these precious resources.
Get Involved
Sustainable Salt Initiative
SIMA, WIT Advisers and Viaesys are working together to research application rates for snow professionals in real-world settings. This information will be coupled with other research to determine a helpful set of recommendations for salt applications that make business sense and proactively address environmental concerns associated with overapplication.
Resources
How can SIMA help?
SIMA has developed several resources to inform and educate snow and ice professionals and other industry stakeholders on the importance of sustainability in snow and ice. Take advantage of these resources to empower your team to make better decisions and to educate your clients on how they can help make a positive impact:

Fundamentals of Anti-icing & Liquids Certificate program
This online personal certificate course will provide in-depth knowledge on the science of liquids; spray system calibration and application rate applications; safety and environmental controls; sidewalk applications and more.

Deep Dive into Liquids
Business Strategy
This Deep Dive package features six courses that cover various aspects of ice management, including selling and pricing liquids, fail-proofing your program, cost savings of liquid use, and environmental responsibility.

Salt Application Oversight and Environmental Responsibility
This members-only webinar includes environmental and infrastructure impacts of chloride contamination resulting from road salt; regulatory initiatives; and how to calculate application rates to reduce salt use without impacting service.

Sustainable Salt Use Best Practices
This guideline serves as an informal audit for any site, company, or organization that utilizes salt in snow operations. It provides a set of policies and activities that when engaged together can reduce salt output, with the goal of increasing the training, knowledge, and skill of the organization.

Tear & Teach: Eutectic vs.
Effective Temperatures
Prevent improper use or overapplication by understanding the difference between eutectic and effective temperatures and the role they play in ice management decision-making.

Tear & Teach: Sidewalk Winter
Maintenance / Begin with Brine
One way to reduce salt use is to transition to liquids — a great place to start that journey is on sidewalks. This resource is a solid training tool and refresher for sidewalk maintenance crew leaders and teams.

Want more info?
Connect with us
CEO Martin Tirado, CAE is the lead contact for salt sustainability.