Environmental Progress - Summer 2004

Lawnmower Buy-Back and Gas Can Exchange Events Reduce Air Pollution

$150 rebate offered for retiring lawnmowers and a free low-emitting gas can help reduce air pollution

Continuing Governor Blagojevich's clean air campaign, the Illinois EPA hosted 11 Lawnmower Buy-Back and Gas Can Exchanges in the Chicago Metro Area and Metro East Area this summer.

A total of 691 mowers were retired and 1,197 gas cans were exchanged for lower-emitting ones. The total estimated reductions in air pollutants are 12.26 tons per year, the equivalent of removing 289 cars from the highways.

Ten of the events provided an opportunity to retire gasoline-powered lawnmowers for a minimum $150 rebate on the purchase of an electric, rechargeable or manual lawnmower and all 11 events offered the free gas can exchanges.

The program was funded by a special grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help reduce the contributions from individuals to air pollution in the state's two largest metropolitan areas.

News media articles, ads and an interview with IEPA Director Renee Cipriano on the popular "Mr. Fix-It" radio show on WGN radio in Chicago helped create awareness of the events.

"These programs can have a real impact on reducing pollutants that contribute to smog throughout the area," said Director Cipriano.

For example, in the Chicago region, residential lawnmowers contribute approximately 1,360 tons of volatile organic compounds every year that contribute to the formation of smog, the equivalent of the same pollutants from 34,000 typical vehicles.

Additionally, older gas cans are the source of 22 tons of volatile organic compounds each day in the area.

Emissions from gas cans occur from evaporation and due to spillage from overfilling of power equipment fuel tanks. In transporting and storing cans, emissions are also released through secondary vent holes and vapors escaping from the exterior of the cans. Newer gas cans are made of stronger material to nearly eliminate vapors escaping and do not have secondary vent holes. Additionally, the newer cans feature a spill-proof shut off valve.

The first event was held in St. Charles in conjunction with an IEPA household hazardous waste collection and only gas cans were exchanged. The other 10 events were in Mount Prospect, Des Plaines (two), Norridge, Oak Forest and Chicago in the Chicago Metro Area and in Swansea, Collinsville (two) and Godfrey in the Metro East Area. For the final event in Chicago on August 28, IEPA partnered with a Home Depot store and city officials.