Small Engine Buyback

From LADCO (Lake Michigan Air Director's Consortium) Recommended by EPA and small engine manufacturers for it's simplicity and effectiveness.

Ingredients:

Offer area residents a cash rebate (programs have ranged from $40 to $100) on the purchase of a new electric mower or a push mower when they scrap their old one. Extend the project to include weedwhackers, boat engines, etc. The rebate is earned when the old, working gasoline device is turned in and a sales receipt for the new device is provided. Funding for the rebates could come from the local department of environmental quality and/or local electric utility. Publicize the program through print advertising, utility bill stuffers, public service announcements, and paid advertising by the "new" mower dealers. Consumers bring their old devices to the sponsor's locations for scrapping.

These small engines emit up to 10 times the hydrocarbon per hour of autos. Plus small engines are kept longer than autos, lagging the benefits of new regulations. The program encourages retirement of older engines and educates consumers about careful refueling, the importance of tuning, and the best times to use small engines. You could even subsidize the program by allowing emission reductions to create credits for trading.

Utensils:

• Leadership - to organize and promote
• Publicity - to raise the level of awareness
• Teamwork - to mix the ingredients and cook the dish

Servings:

A successful program in a city of 500,000 could retire 1,000 lawn mowers in a summer which would cut volatile organic compounds emissions by 10 tons a year and carbon monoxide emissions by 80 tons a year.

Hints from the Chef:

Don't be surprised to get an incident or two of attempted cheating, but expect good overall acceptance and media coverage. Good record keeping is a must. Customer interest builds over time, so keep the program going during the whole summer.

Lawn Mower Buyback Program Case Study