Toronto is using beet juice to de-ice roads

In Toronto, many of us have a love-hate relationship with road salt. It undoubtedly keeps us (and our cars) from slipping and sliding, but it also wreaks havoc on the environment and our leather shoes.

But the city of Toronto has another another de-icing weapon in its arsenal: beet juice.

Beet juice has been making headlines lately because Cowanville, Quebec, located in the Eastern Townships, just started using it as an environmentally friendly alternative to salt.

According to the Toronto Star, the city's been using beet juice on roads for years.

“We can use it at 100 per cent concentration, however, it’s best used mixed and we use it as a 50-50 mix with brine, which is the salt solution," Transportation Services spokesperson Steve Johnston tells us.

He says the city uses it when temperatures drop below -12 C.