Road salt alternatives include cheese brine, beet juice

Toronto dumps about 130,000 tonnes of salt on its roads in an average year to the tune of about $10 million. But apart from being expensive and leaving stains on our footwear, all that sodium chloride is also hard on the environment and local wildlife.

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The Toronto Conservation Authority says salt use is likely linked to declining fish and bug populations, leading some to look for a more environmentally friendly option.

The options run from beet juice to cheese brine.

CBCs Amanda Margison takes a closer look at how cities fight off ice. You can watch her report by playing the video at the top of this page.