“What’s the most environmentally friendly way to remove the snow from my sidewalk?” This is one of the most popular questions that I get from readers. My favorite answer is “wait till spring.” If that’s not practical for you then try these methods.
1. Shoveling, plowing & sweeping:
Now stop your whining. I know this is not what you wanted to hear. But, without a doubt, human-powered removal is the only 100% eco-friendly way to get rid of snow. There are no downsides for the environment, your family or your lawn. A simple shovel and broom are the cleanest, cheapest and most effective to keep a safe walkway and you can save a ton by canceling your winter gym membership.
There are many creatively designed (and expensive) snow shovels available. But, my favorite is still the simple snow-plow style aluminum shovel with a wooden handle. You can make easy work of it by angling the blade toward the grass and plowing the snow forward rather than the conventional shovel, lift & toss method.
TIP: Get the snow cleared early in the day and let the radiant heat of the sun warm the surface to keep it safe and dry. Shovel before the snow reaches more than 3″. It’s easier to shovel 3″ of snow three times a day than it is to shovel 9″ of snow once.
Personally, I don’t find mechanical blowers any easier to use than a shovel unless there is a huge snowfall. By the time you drag the thing out of the garage and mess with all the moving parts you could have finished a small driveway and sidewalk. That said, if you’re looking for an eco-friendly snow plow you’ll have to choose from the lesser of the evils.
An electric blower is the cleanest, quietest and easiest to maintain (especially if you have solar panels). But, they are not as powerful as their fossil-fuel powered brethren. If you need more power you can find a diesel powered blower and use a bio-diesel. I once road in a car powered by leftover oil from a churro factory.
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