Discover why pre-bagged winter gritting salt is bad for the environment

Do you know if your winter gritting provider uses pre-bagged or non-bagged winter gritting salt? It’s worth asking them this question! As the UK continues to experience sub-zero temperatures, it is understandable that more salt will be used to de-ice car parks, roads and pavements. This simple fact means that a sizeable number of companies offering winter gritting services will source their de-icing materials (mainly salt) in pre-packaged bags, as it is convenient and logistically easy to transport.

With more freezing temperatures forecast for this week, OUTCO looks at the hidden environmental impact of using pre-bagged salt.

Pre-bagged winter gritting salt

Thousands of tonnes of pre-bagged salt is spread on the ground each year, which brings with it vast quantities of plastic waste. Once used, the plastic salt bags are often discarded as general rubbish, as many companies are unsure of how to dispose of them correctly. These bags typically end up in landfill, taking hundreds of years to degrade, where toxic substances are released into the soil.

Organisations that have sustainability and ESG (environmental, social and governance) policies to tackle plastic use and waste, cannot turn a blind eye to how their winter salt is supplied. After all, we are all doing what we can to reduce plastic consumption and waste in all aspects of our lives.

OUTCO uses non-bagged winter gritting salt

At OUTCO our salt is delivered bag free and we typically do not use bagged salt. Our large salt stores are located at strategic hubs all over the country, with stockpiles always in place where they are needed the most.

On the rare occasions where we resort to supplying or using bagged salt, we can collect and recycle left-over bags responsibly.

At OUTCO we endeavour to be environmentally friendly and adopt a sustainable approach wherever possible, and we use sustainable white marine salt as our main de-icing agent. This salt is evaporated seawater that, as well as being less harmful to the environment, requires less volume spreading for de-icing effects and is cleaner, leaving less residue on-site.

Keep your customers safe and book your winter services

Our advice couldn’t be simpler: don’t wait until it gets cold before booking your winter services.

To find out how we can work together, or to obtain a free winter gritting quote or site inspection, please contact us today.