The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, Inc.

Consumer Guide To Environmentally Helpful Outdoor Power Equipment

Today's Outdoor Power Equipment, It's Great On Earth

Using outdoor power equipment has always been a convenient and time-saving way to beautify your lawns and landscapes while adding to the overall value of our homes. Whether you're searching for the latest walk-behind mower, lawn tractor, leaf blower or other helpful outdoor power equipment, you'll find this informative guide to be a valuable reference for learning more about today's new generation of cleaner running lawn and garden maintenance products.

These powerful, hard-working lawn and garden machines now meet -- and exceed -- the strict environmental standards set by federal and state regulatory agencies. In fact, technological advances in recent years have enabled manufacturers to produce a wide variety of improved gas, electric and cordless battery-powered yard and garden care products, including equipment powered by engines that run, on average, 70% cleaner than similar 1990 models!

The substantial reduction in smog-forming emissions is the result of the outdoor power equipment industry's ongoing commitment to the design and manufacture of off-road engines that not only run cleaner, but are more durable and fuel efficient.

With today's low-emission equipment, homeowners are now able to help keep the air cleaner while performing a variety of environmentally helpful chores like mulching and composting. And, just as the industry is doing its part to reduce air pollution, you too can do your part by recycling yard waste instead of sending it off to landfills where capacity is limited.

Consider these environmentally helpful ways in which outdoor power equipment makes yard waste recycling easy:

Your walk-behind lawn mower or riding mower may be used without a grass catcher to "broadcast" clippings throughout the lawn.

Mulching mowers and mulching blade attachments will cut and re-cut grass clippings into fine particles that will help to fertilize your yard.

Grass clippings contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Returning these nutrients to the yard can reduce the amount of fertilizer required to keep your lawn healthy and green.

Grass blades are 70-80% water when freshly cut. When the grass is clipped finely and blown deep into the turf, much of this moisture returns to the soil -- plus, the dry mulch acts as a barrier which reduces evaporation from the soil -- further conserving water.

Shredder/Grinders cut and reduce leaves, twigs, tree branches and other yard debris into small pieces that create recyclable mulch and compost for fertilizing plants and shrubs.

Walk-behind garden tillers help return composted clippings and yard waste to the ground by blending them with the soil to increase fertility.