Green Success Stories: Cypher Environmental
Todd Burns, CEO of Canada’s Cypher Environmental Ltd., puts sustainability in the spotlight. Cypher provides safe, high-performing, and environmentally responsible alternatives to traditional road salts and traditional dust control and soil stabilization methods. Todd describes the environmental and economic benefits that Cypher’s products provide, and wants readers to know that with the right approach and technology, infrastructure can be both durable and environmentally responsible, delivering real-world benefits for operations, communities, and the planet.
Tell us a bit about your sustainability journey.
Cypher’s sustainability journey began with a belief that there had to be a better way to do things. From day one, our focus has been on solving real operational challenges without creating new environmental harm. As CEO, I was driven by the idea that performance and environmental responsibility should not be mutually exclusive. Over time, that philosophy evolved into Cypher’s core mindset: always do what’s right. That means taking a long-term view, questioning legacy products that cause harm, and building solutions that stand up to both performance demands and environmental scrutiny. Sustainability at Cypher is embedded in how decisions are made, products are developed, and partnerships are built.
Tell us a bit about the product or solution you offer.
Traditional road salts, such as MgCl and CaCl, were labeled as toxic in Canada in 1999 under section 64 of CEPA (Canadian Environmental Protection Act). They’re highly corrosive, cause significant damage to infrastructure when used as a de-icer (estimated $4.8B CAD in 2010, not including damage to vehicles), are harmful to vegetation, and contaminate freshwater ecosystems — which happens constantly since salt is 100% soluble and runs off roads in the rain. Road salts are widely known as winter de-icers, but they’re also used just as commonly for dust control on gravel roads in summer — with all the same negative consequences.
Cypher Environmental, a Winnipeg-based firm, set out to create an alternative: Dust/Blokr (DB), a 100% non-corrosive, non-toxic, and higher-performing alternative to road salts for dust control. DB is the only dust control product in the world that meets strict US EPA Safer Choice standards. It also meets Boeing conformity BSS7432 (D6-14787), allowing safe use around aircraft due to its non-corrosive nature. This has opened new markets, including aviation/runway stabilization, proving the product’s fully non-corrosive nature. When we say “non-corrosive and environmentally friendly,” we mean it!
Its higher performance translates into real-world cleantech results:
- On a 130 km pipeline access road in BC, switching from water to DB eliminated 70,000 water truck hours, saving 944 million liters of freshwater and 5,640 tons of CO2 emissions over six months.
- Used in over 50 countries, DB supports Tier 1 mining, O&G, and forestry clients globally, from Canada to South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia.
Wanting to give back beyond sustainable client operations, Cypher launched the ‘Cypher Green Roads‘ program, donating 5% of project value to the local community next to the client, in the form of the same product the client uses to make their roads more sustainable. This demonstrates sharing of best cleantech practices and helps elevate social license to operate and CSR/ESG strategies globally.
Cypher and B2Gold won a Clean50 award in 2024 for the initiative they jointly developed at B2Gold’s Fekola operation in Mali, West Africa, an inspiring example of two Canadian companies leading community-based sustainability initiatives in Africa.
In addition to DB, Cypher created ROAD//STABILIZR®, a non-toxic soil stabilizer for clay-based soils, which increases compaction and strength, reduces maintenance requirements, and extends the service life of unpaved roads. Together, DB and ROAD//STABILIZR® provide safe, high-performing, and environmentally responsible alternatives to traditional road salts, dust control, and soil stabilization methods.
Share a green success story with us – how have you helped customers or other businesses in the fight against climate change?
In 2015, Cypher transformed Currie’s Landing Road (Manitoba, Canada) and the haul roads at the Shenhua Open-Pit Coal Mine (China). Ten years later, both sites continue to deliver environmental benefits, cost savings, and operational efficiency.
- Currie’s Landing: Stabilization eliminated the need for watering and drastically reduced grader maintenance from twice weekly to once per year, with some years requiring no grading at all. This resulted in over $1.5 million USD in cumulative maintenance savings, as well as significant reductions in water use and chemical runoff, supporting sustainable resource management.
- Shenhua Mine: Stabilization with ROAD//STABILIZR® led to a 17.4% reduction in fuel consumption, over $3.6 million USD in savings, a 60% reduction in dust, and more than 10,000 tons of CO2 avoided annually, improving air quality and reducing the mine’s environmental footprint.
These projects demonstrate that, with the right solutions, clay roads can be durable, low-maintenance, and environmentally responsible, delivering measurable reductions in emissions, water use, and operational impact.
What would you like readers to take away from this article?
Sustainability and performance can coexist. With the right approach and technology, infrastructure can be both durable and environmentally responsible, delivering real-world benefits for operations, communities, and the planet. Cypher is proving that every road, airstrip, or project can contribute to a greener, more efficient future.
How should readers get in touch with you and/or your organization?
Readers can visit our website at www.cypherenvironmental.com or contact our team via info@cypherenvironmental.
Kudos
Many thanks to Todd Burns and to Cypher Environmental Ltd. Green Success Stories is happy to support and highlight your efforts! We invite you the reader to do the same.
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