Check out these green alternatives to traditional snow removal.

There are so many reasons why snow is cool: building snowmen, snowball fights, making snow angels and sledding down snow covered hills. But for me personally, there’s one big reason why having a huge snow blizzard is not cool: removing the snow. Oh, and avoiding yellow snow is absolutely not cool, but that’s not as bad as shoveling tons of it from your front yard.

Although many people use snow blowers to effectively remove the snow from their home or place of business, these blowers emit a ton of carbon emissions that pollute the air. These blowers also use gasoline that can eventually wind up in our streams or in our soil, and that’s no way treat our earth.

Instead of using traditional electric snow blowers, here are a few eco friendly alternatives to removing snow:

Traditional Snow Shovel
The best way to clear the snow is the old fashioned way: shovel it yourself! You can get a good snow shovel just about anywhere, but I would suggest supporting your local mom and pop hardware shop. I actually found a great shovel at a local store that cost half as much as one at Home Depot, and it worked wonders on the 3 feet of snow in my yard!

Don’t Just Shovel It…Sno Wovel It!
Take a look at this creative take on a regular snow shovel:

Go Creatively Green to Avoid Slipping and Sliding
People instantly think of using salt to make their sidewalks and driveways less slippery, but salt is actually pretty harmful to not only the concrete, but also to wildlife and plants. Instead of salt, try using sand, wood ash or kitty litter. Or you can use EcoTraction, which is an eco friendly material that’s safe for pets and the environment. Check it out:

In addition to trying these eco friendly snow removal alternatives, don’t forget to be wise out there in the snow. If you’re shoveling, bend at the knees to avoid straining your back. If you’re pushing something like a Sno Wovel, don’t get too excited and run around the yard like a madman. You’ll be out of breath before you know it and won’t have any time for a snowball fight later!