Media Coverage

Korean media reporting on successful use of EcoTraction during a very icy winter.
 

Invented by a Canadian company, EcoTraction is made of non-toxic, all-natural volcanic rock. According to the Earth Innovations website, the granules embed into ice and snow, creating a solid, non-slip surface. Founder Mark Watson developed the product after his dog died of cancer, which may be triggered by toxins in road salt.

Salt can be washed into the environment, but there are other options. EcoTraction, for example, is a natural volcanic mineral you spread over the ice, preventing slips. It is safe to the touch and safe for pets, as well as the environment

Parents Approved Parents Tested (PTPA) Award Winning EcoTraction was featured on this Chicago morning TV show on Earth Day April 22, 2013. EcoTraction has been used by the City of Chicago parks as an alternative to ice melters since 2009 and is the only product of its kind that can be swept into lawns to benefit growth.

Corrosion by Water, Road Salt Key in Elliott Lake (Ontario) Mall Collapse: …The Norr report — a forensic study commissioned by the OPP as part of its continuing investigation into the mall collapse — cited severe rusting in the structure’s steel supports from years of exposure to water and road salt. Steel supports were so rusted… that it looked as if they had spentdecades in sea water, the Norr report said.

Eco-friendly company reminds Canadians to be advised of slippery walkways: “Whether hosting or attending an event this winter, it’s very risky without the appropriate non-toxic solution for traction over ice and snow on walkways and driveways,” said Mark Watson, CEO of Earth Innovations, which provides a granule-based solution that is similar to sand or salt but is harmless to plants and animals.

NHL’s Calgary Flames using EcoTraction for Saddledome. “EcoTraction offers instant traction on icy surfaces and is perfect for protecting our fans from slips and falls when walking into the Scotiabank Saddledome. Because it works fast for immediate safety and won’t harm concrete, footwear, or greenery, we’re very pleased with EcoTraction,” said Rob Blanchard, Director of Operations for the Calgary Flames.

Mark Watson of EcoTraction dropped by CTV Morning Live to show off thegreen alternative to ice melters. The Parent Tested Parent Approved watchdog has certified EcoTraction.

Road salt poses a major risk not only to pets, but also humans, municipal infrastructure, vehicles and the environment. The United States and Canada use a combined 40 million tons of road salt a year, resulting in nearly $40-billion worth of damages to infrastructure each year.

Municipalities risk contaminating drinking water, endangering all livingcreatures and eating away infrastructure by dumping tons of salt-based ice melting solution on roads every winter.

Canadian cities use an enormous amount of salt and gravel to keep their roads and highways ice-free. This salt damages infrastructure, eventually seeping into the ground and water systems, where it causes harmful, expensive, toxic after-effects. EcoTraction is a pollution-free alternative developed by Canadian entrepreneurs. It bonds to ice, increasing traction, and blows away as dust when the ice is gone. It’s been featured on the popular CBC television program Dragon’s Den.

Last fall, I was at a trade show, and there was a company from Canada that had a new product called EcoTraction… You only need to use a small amount. One cup of the EcoTraction will cover a 12-foot by 12-foot area. It is safe for pets and will benefit the lawn if any gets on there. I have been amazed at how well it works.

The Green Page: We’re hooked on In Ottawa, a trial of a product than road salt is in the works, “It’s completely safe for lakes salt billed as more environmentally friendly said EcoTraction founder Mark Watson… and for rivers and for trees,” Watson said.

Radio Canada is the French version of CBC TV in the city of Ottawa, Canada. They report on what now appears to be a possible EcoTraction trial based on interviews by City of Ottawa Councillors Bob Monette and Eli El-Chantiry who both sound open to have the city try the eco-friendly product. The product has been successfully used by the City of Chicago for the past 3 winters, amongst other municipalities, by corporations who are going green, and by tens of thousands of consumers.

Co-founder of EcoTraction Mark Watson had been working with city staff to set up a trial. He lined up $300,000 in funding from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for a pilot project, but the city was stillresistant. With approval from the National Capital Commission, the trial would have lined the pathways along the Rideau Canal with EcoTraction.

City of Ottawa Councillor David Chernushenko is interviewed by CBC TV and says he’d like to see an independent evaluation of EcoTraction, a product manufactured and distributed by an Ottawa company called Earth Innovations Inc. He says: “We can make an evaluation on: ‘A’ does it work; ‘B’ how much does it cost; ‘C’ is it available in the quantities that we need. We can then make a decision on it.”

CBC radio reports that the city of Ottawa won’t give EcoTraction a chance. EcoTraction is the green volcanic mineral used instead of salt and ice melters that so impressed the billionaires on CBC Dragons’ Den and lead to a big money deal. Founder Mark Watson says that he’s been trying to get the city of Ottawa to do a formal trial of his product for 5 years but that so far he’s encountered a lot of resistance.

CBC Radio Kathleen Petty interviews EcoTraction founder Mark Watson about the city of Ottawa and his frustration about the delays in doing a pilot test. Watson says EcoTraction has been successfully tested by the City of Chicago who is using it, and other municipalities in Canada such as the City of Charlottetown, PE. He is hoping that Ottawa’s new City Council will help moving things forward with a trial this winter.