Replace internal combustion engine yard equipment (such as lawnmowers, leaf blowers, weed whips, and snowblowers) with less-polluting electric equipment or manual tools. 

• MPCA’s Air We Breathe report identifies neighborhood sources as the largest emitter of air toxics pollution most likely to affect people’s health. Sources include commercial and residential winter heating, backyard fires, yard equipment like lawnmowers and snowblowers, and small businesses like gas stations.  
• Why you should care: air quality and health (MPCA). 

Alternative Landscaping Equipment

• Read more about the benefits of alternative landscaping equipment. 
• Learn more about the impacts of gas-powered lawn equipment emissions in the U.S. with Environment America’s interactive maps or go more in depth with their Lawn Care Goes Electric report (2023). 
• A wide variety of electric lawnmowers, snow blowers, and other lawn equipment is available in the US. See manufacture agnostic resources (Shift2Electric) to help you choose the new, cleaner lawn equipment that works best for your needs.
• State grants may be available. Also, check with the State Master Contract, Sourcewell, or other procurement agencies when purchasing alternative landscaping equipment. 
• Quiet Communities gathers news stories about electric lawn equipment and highlights the noise-pollution reduction benefits.
• A Colorado-based small lawn care business answers questions about electric lawn equipment on YouTube.

Education Campaigns

• American Green Zone Alliance promotes zero-emission landscape maintenance strategies.
• Mow Electric, a campaign based in Vermont to promote electric landscape tools, offers online resources including life cycle cost and CO2 saving calculators, lists of equipment options, and recent news articles.
• Use the MPCA Air Pollution Score map to identify areas with worse air quality to target with assistance and incentives. 
• Xcel Energy offers a rebate program for residents buying electric yard equipment. 
• Lake Country Power Co-op in Northern MN offers a $50 rebate for electric lawn equipment. 
• Minnesota Tool Library is a non-profit based in the Twin Cities that offers a library of tools to paid members.

Policies and Ordinances

• List of actions cities across the U.S. are taking, including limiting the use of gas-powered equipment, banning their sale, or providing incentives to switch. Interactive map of lawn mower and leaf blower policies. 
• Quiet Clean Alliance has resources for electric leaf blowers including example policies and outreach materials.
• See the Ann Arbor, MI ordinance that prohibits the use of lawn equipment with two-cycle combustion engines in the Downtown Development Authority district to reduce noise and air pollution. 
• At least 25 California cities have banned or severely limited gas-powered leaf blowers.