See what Milwaukee uses for road de-icing

There are a few different ways to make icy roads drivable, including spreading sand and salt on them. Here in Detroit, we use tons and tons (and tons) of rock salt on our crumbling roads in part because we're sitting on unbelievably massive salt deposits.

Wisconsin is sitting on massive deposits, too -- of cheese brine. A byproduct of the cheese-making process, cheese brine is normally poured down the drain. But budget-conscious cities in cheese-producing regions have realized they can use the salty liquid to keep winter roads ice-free. Municipalities from Wisconsin to Washington state have already tested the substance, and now Milwaukee has launched a small pilot program.

“We're just trying to make every possible use of cheese,” Milwaukee alderman Tony Zielinski told the New York Times last week. Sounds like a noble effort to us.

Since it's basically salty water, we don't think the cheese brine is any kinder to automotive sheetmetal or road surfaces than the good ol' NaCl employed across the rest of the Midwest. But there are some potential benefits to using the unconventional de-icer.

First and foremost, it's free; save for transportation costs (cheese producers are giddy to get rid of the stuff). Pouring it on roads also lightens the load on municipal waste treatment plants. And even if cities aren't able to use it to replace other de-icers entirely, adding the brine to a load of salt can help keep salt crystals from bouncing off the roadway.

Predictably, the brine smells faintly of cheese, though whether you consider that a benefit or a drawback will probably depend on your lactose tolerance.

Read more about this cheesy miracle at the New York Times.

By Graham Kozak