Eco Snow Removal

Eco Snow Removal: Environmentally Friendly Snow and Ice Management Services

Eco Snow Removal is a Boulder-based firm that offers snow and ice management services. The Company is committed to providing its services with as low environmental impact as possible. Eco Snow Removal Company fuels their trucks with biodiesel and recycled vegetable oil to protect the environment. Furthermore, in order to be ecologically responsible, the company employs specialist ice melt and polyurethane products in its operations. The company provides snow and ice management services to commercial and residential customers, as well as eco-lawn services using the most environmentally friendly approaches. In snow and ice management, a common externality experienced is pollution related to air, soil, water, and noise. The use of equipment for this practice poses harmful effects to the environment. Motor vehicles run on fossil fuels famous for emitting pollutants that are the primary cause of poor air quality in metropolitan areas. Vehicles emit a significant amount of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and other contaminants harmful to the environment. Air pollution affects the environment through the emission of toxic substances that may contribute to respiratory problems to the general population in the affected areas. The marginal social costs as a result of air pollution are the health costs that will be incurred by individuals as a result of the exposure to these harmful substances.<\/p>

Air Pollution and Environmental Impact

Air pollution resulting from the use of heavy vehicles in the management of snow and ice affects the local and regional geographic regions near the point of emissions. The pollution affects the quality of air and exposes individuals at the local and regional levels to adverse health effects. Additionally, wastes associated with road salts pose a danger to the aquatic life and domestic use of water due to water pollution.<\/p>

Externalities in the Snow and Ice Management Industry

The primary sources of factors of production for snow and ice management service industry are capital and labor. Capital is necessary for the purchase of equipment to be used in the management services while labor is paramount in the operations within the industry. Externalities in this sector arise mainly from transportation. (Hill, 2009). The use of massive fleets of vehicles in the industry causes air pollution, an externality that affects the local and regional levels within which the service industry is located. Additionally, the use of road salts, an input in the management of ice and snow poses the risk of environmental pollution. The release of large quantities of these salts affects vegetation, drinking water, soil structure and aquatic life. Vehicles emit carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and other harmful substances that result in environmental pollution.<\/p>

Eco Snow Removal’s Efforts to Reduce Externalities

Eco Snow Removal Company reduces air pollution and other externalities through the use of energy efficient and environmentally friendly fuel. The use of biodiesel and recycled vegetable oil reduces harmful emissions to the environment reducing air pollution. Additionally, the company uses specialized ice melts products and polyurethane blades reducing environmental harm. With a proper understanding of the chemistry of products, the staff of Eco Snow Removal Company spread minimum amounts of products like ice-melting compounds and salt for maximum effects. Further, the use of paperless billing system in addition to other resource-saving practices ensures that the company operates an environment-friendly business.<\/p>

Advantages of Environmentally Friendly Operations

The use of environmentally-friendly fuel by Eco Snow Removal Company reduces air pollution and ensures clean air for individuals within the locality of the company and at the surrounding regions. Biodiesels is a clean burning fuel producing less toxic pollutants and greenhouse gases compared to petroleum oil. The use of polyurethane blades in the management of snow and ice is associated with various benefits compared to the use of steel blades. The edges are flexible and reduce road hazards. They are quiet in operation to reduce noise pollution, elastic, and reduce equipment wear. A reduction of wastes related to metal shavings is exhibited in the company’s use of polyurethane blades. The minimum usage of road salts is yet strength of Eco Snow Removal Company. It ensures optimum results in the management of ice and snow while causing minimal adverse effects on the environment.<\/p>

Maintaining a Green Environment: Company Motivation and Goals

The Company is motivated towards the maintenance of a green environment. As such it has invested in environmentally green operations. The use of ecologically- friendly fuels is a sustainable undertaking by the company. It reduces energy use and dependence on fossil fuel, reduces emissions, and is cheaper when compared to the other sources of fuel. Going green is a long-term company goal. The move aims at using these changes in operations as a business advantage increasing the selling points with existing customers and creating new relations with potential customers. Additionally, the use of environmentally-friendly operations will ensure financial stewardship in the company. The company will use the correct amount of products in getting the work done translating to cost savings and efficiency in the company operations.<\/p>

Adopting Environment-Friendly Operations in the Industry

Related companies should adopt the plans of attack adopted by Eco Snow Removal Company within the industry. The overall benefits related to the adoption of these environmental-friendly operations will ensure minimal pollution in the environment and more healthy lives for the inhabitants of the regions within which the companies operate. A clean environment provides a reduction in cases of respiratory diseases related to air pollution. Similarly, fresh water will promote human and aquatic life prompting a peaceful ecosystem of coexistence of organisms. If all companies in the snow and ice management industry adopt environment-friendly operations, the overall use of energy will be reduced. The dependence on biodiesel rather than fossil oil will lead to the overall conservation of energy and prevents on overreliance on natural fuels that are likely to be depleted with time.<\/p>

Actions for Efficient Environmental Management

To efficiently reach their environmental goals, companies in the snow and ice management should carry out a fleet inventory to help set targets for the reduction of energy use and air pollutants. The stock will ensure that more efficient vehicles are used for the job, and any unnecessary equipment is eliminated. Regular vehicle maintenance ensures that the machine is running efficiently. In conformity with the government standards, companies within the snow and ice industries should use alternative sources of fuel that reduces emissions to supplement petroleum fuel usage. The options available here include biodiesel, ultra-low sulfur fuel, and recycled vegetable oils.<\/p>

Labour, the primary source of factors of production in combination with capital, should be trained. Training of drivers will ensure efficient and correct use of motor vehicles. Planning of routes and use of software, such as GPS, help optimize efficiency in operations of vehicles. Similarly, snow and ice management companies should institute a no-idling plan to decrease fuel usage and unnecessary emissions.<\/p>

Finally, efficient use of road salt should be made by all the firms in the snow and ice management. The companies can calibrate spreaders to ensure the optimum use of the resource. Pre-wetting of salt decreases the amount of the product needed. Similarly, companies should consider the alternatives and or supplements for road salts. (Hosseini, et al., 2014). They should adopt the use of deicers that have less impact on the environment. Liquid anti-icing materials can be considered for deicing purposes.<\/p>

Works cited

Hill, CH2M. “Transportation and Sustainability Best Practices Background.” Proceedings,

AASHTO Sustainability Peer Exchange, Washington, DC 32 (2009).

Hosseini, Faranak, et al. “Field Evaluation of Organic Materials for Winter Snow and Ice

Control.” Conference Proceedings of the 9th Annual Transportation. 2014.