DENVER – As leaves fall – and leaf blowers roar – in neighborhoods across the United States, U.S. PIRG Education Fund unveiled a new interactive map Wednesday [Oct. 16, 2024] showing nationwide progress on transitioning away from highly polluting, noisy, gas-powered lawn equipment. The map highlights policies and programs in 26 states plus D.C., ranging from restrictions on leaf blower use and bans on the sale of gas-powered equipment to financial incentives for cleaner, quieter electric equipment. The most recent addition comes from Baltimore, Maryland, which last week [Oct. 8, 2024] passed a bill to phase-out the use of gas-powered leaf blowers by 2027.
“We shouldn’t pollute our air and endanger our health just by doing everyday yard work. We have better options,” said CoPIRG Foundation Clean Air Advocate Kirsten Schatz. “It’s good to see more and more cities and states across the country take action to improve our health and quality of life by switching away from dirty gas-powered lawn mowers and leaf blowers.”
U.S. PIRG Education Fund recommends that states, municipalities, school districts, utility companies and other public entities use the information embedded in the new map for ideas on how to address the harmful pollution and noise produced by gas-powered lawn equipment. It includes detailed policy suggestions.
In addition to the governmental policy progress, corporations are taking this transition seriously. Lowe’s recently released a corporate responsibility report revealing that it has shifted its product lines substantially in recent years. Now, 60% of the outdoor lawn equipment (excluding riding mowers) that it sells is electric or battery-powered.
“We appreciate that Lowe’s shared its progress and we are encouraged to see how much of its lawn equipment sales consists of cleaner, quieter electric and battery-powered options,” said Schatz. “Next, we encourage Lowe’s to build on that progress to meet or beat The Home Depot’s goal of having 85% of lawn equipment sales be electric by 2028.”
Beyond the map, U.S. PIRG Education Fund also released a new series of educational videos designed to help local lawn care companies switch to electric-powered equipment. In the videos, Jordan Champalou, who owns Colorado-based Electric Lawn Care, demonstrates his cost-effective all-electric setup. Champalou uses solar panels on the roof of his equipment trailer to charge batteries for his lawn mower and handheld landscaping tools while out on a job.
“It’s time to make our lawn equipment as ‘green’ as our lawns,” said Schatz. “Seeing all this new information and how it’s put into action makes it clear that we’re headed in the right direction.”
Source: “New interactive map, corporate disclosure show progress on lawn care electrification,” an Oct. 17, 2024 U.S. PIRG Education Fund media release.
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