It’s summer and if you have a home, chances are you have to cut the lawn. Personally, I like to cut the lawn for the exercise, but I never thought of the damage something as simple as mowing could be doing to the environment.
The Environmental Protection Agency says that, in one hour’s use, a gas powered mower emits as much pollution as 11 cars and that a riding mower emits as much as 34 cars. Americans use approximately 580 million gallons of gas for mowers each year. It is estimated that 30% of the water used on the East Coast and 60% of the water used on the West Coast is used to water lawns. Long story short, we love to take care of our lawns, but it is damaging our environment.
What can we do to make lawn care greener? Here are a few suggestions:
If you have a small lawn, consider purchasing a reel mower. Yes, this is the old fashioned type you probably remember from the ‘50s and ‘60s. It only has blades, no motor. But, if you keep the grass trimmed and the blades sharp, it works well and you aren’t using any gas to power it. It is also quiet, pollution free, and you still get a great workout.
If you need to purchase a new mower, but a reel mower isn’t enough to do the job, consider a battery powered mower with rechargeable batteries. Some battery powered mowers, such as the RoboMower, will even do the work for you.
If you do use a gas mower, make sure it gets an annual tune up. Making sure the mower is operating at its best can reduce emissions.
Don’t use your mower bag. Let the grass clippings fall back on the lawn – this is a great natural fertilizer that doesn’t contain any dangerous chemicals.
Set your mower to cut on the highest setting, which is usually 3 to 4 inches.
While asking people to not water their lawn is a bit unrealistic, there are some tips you can follow to get the most of your water usage. Water in the morning and allow the lawn to soak, rather than just skimming over the top of the lawn. If you do that, you can water less frequently and save water.
Taking small steps to make lawn care greener are pretty easy and can help the environment.
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