EcoTraction: Stick with Green, Feel the Difference
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 02.20.06
EcoTraction is a winter traction agent designed to work better and greener than more traditional sand and salt. If icy patches or snowy stairs abound, EcoTraction claims to do it all, providing better traction than sand, absorbing melting ice and snow and providing numerous positive environmental benefits. That's a mouthful, so we'll try to break it down so it makes sense. EcoTraction is made up of rigid grains not unlike coarse sand or pebbles. Each rigid grain is filled with micro-porous channels that absorb liquids and chemical ions from the environment. This unique 'charged honeycomb' structure allows EcoTraction to not only embed itself into ice and snow, but also to passively improve the surrounding environment; it is proven to absorb ions from the air, soil and water like ammonium, nitrogen, mercury, arsenic, nickel, lead, silver, cesium, and uranium. It will never damage concrete, brick, wood or metal, nor will it harm vegetation in lawns and gardens. EcoTraction does not contain carcinogenic crystalline silica (unlike sand) and is low-dusting, so it can even be used indoors in things like cat litter or aquariums.
EcoTraction's main ingredient is Tractonite™, a unique green mineral that comes from only one source in North America. EcoTraction claims that their Tractonite comes from a small mining company that does not use any chemicals or toxins to process the Tractonite, and is a leader in environmentally responsibility. The grains are green in color, making it easy to spot and keep track of once spread. In the spring, after all the snow and ice has melted, EcoTraction recommends that their product be recycled from the driveway into the lawn or garden to improve soil aeration and plant growth. It can also be swept into the garbage where it will naturally reduce odors and at the landfill as well. If it happens to stay on the ground, EcoTraction will absorb odors and purify the air from impurities like exhaust and smog.
It looks like it's only been available since January 2006, though we found a few testimonials that already swear by it. The EcoTraction is based in Ottawa, and is available in several Canadian hardware chains; for a complete list of outlets and distributors, see the partners page. ::EcoTraction via tipster Patrick and ::Miss Vicky's OffHand Remarks
I'm a little concerned that this is mined product. One doesn't generally think of mining operations as ecologically friendly or renewable. What precisely they are mining is a little difficult to determine since the products main ingredient is a trademark: Tractonite.
Time to look for an MSDS...
Am I going crazy or what? I thought salt and sand were natural organic substances
Salt is extremely harmful to pets, erodes concrete and kills plant life, especially when used in massive quantities like they do in our city. Plus you track it in to your home, and it is murder on flooring (not to mention shoes).
Sand provides traction only, so is often used in conjunction with salt. It also gets tracked in to homes. And again, when used in the massive quantities required for Canadian winter conditions, there are harmful environmental effects (on air quality, plant life, rivers and streams) and considerable clean-up costs once the snow melts.
They may be organic, but it doesn't make them "green".
Hey. Tipster here. Not affiliated with the product, other than being excited about it. Thought I'd put my two cents in here.
1) Yes it is mined. Lots of things are mined. Sand & salt, the other two main options, for instance are both mined as well. I did try and find info on Tractionite (via google) and found nothing -- and that does kind of bug me -- but the product's website claims it is supposedly mined in as ecologically friendly a manner as possible. It may not be a perfect solution, but I seriously doubt there is a perfect solution. I live in Ottawa, and our winters tend to have a high amount of freezing rain, that coats the entire city in an impenetrably layer of slick, nasty ice. So it's either slip and break your neck, or use as eco-friendly a product as you can find. So far, this stuff is it -- unless you want to spread granola on your walkway, I guess ;)
2) Yes, sand and salt are natural as well -- kinda like dogshit. But, just like dogshit, you don't really want to be spreading either on your front lawn -- though the dogshit would be a damn sight better. Just because salt and sand are natural, doesn't make them good for the environment. There's a reason ancient armies would salt the earth when pillaging their enemies. It destroys arable land. Sand, while not as bad as salt, isn't all that great for your soil either. Mostly because it doesn't hold water. This stuff seems to be better for your soil than those products. A lot better.
Hi, this is Marc Appleby - president of EcoTraction.
I wanted to respond to John's valid concern about the mining operation. The majority of all products currently being used for winter ice management are either mined products or manufactured chemicals. To that end, EcoTraction's mineral source is more of a quarry than a mine and there are no chemicals or leaching involved in the conversion process. In fact, the mine is on private land where there are three hills of pure Tractonite that are simply dynamited and crushed. The top soil is very shallow, which is removed and stockpiled for later reclamation.
Our challenge was to find a product that is an environmental alternative to salt in order to reduce salt's far-reaching and destructive effects on our environment, health and property. Our analysis determined that working with a low-intensity, small footprint quarry was more sustainable than continuing to support the unsustainable consumption of other more intensive and destructive products like salt.
Further, Tractonite is such a unique mineral with a host of proven environmental uses in water purification, air emissions filtration, soil improvement etc... that we felt this incredibly beneficial material needed more awareness and use within our communities. We have an MSDS available and I will post it to the website asap (ecotraction.com).
Thanks for your comments. I would be happy to reply to any further inquiries here at Treehugger.com or marc@earthinnovations.ca.
Sounds like a scam to me!!!! The big question is...how does it compare cost wise for the penny pinchers? If it costs me too much, good luck making me switch!!!