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Lawn Mower Buyback Program Case Study

Portland, Oregon

In 1996, a lawn mower buyback program was enacted by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality for the Portland area as a three-year pilot project. Because of its success, the program has become part of Portland's ten-year maintenance plan. The lawn mower buyback program was expected to produce 40 percent of the total volatile organic compound (VOC) reductions required (0.2 percent of total VOC emissions in the inventory). The program is a component of the Air Quality Public Education Project.

The lawn mower buyback program initially offered area residents a $40 rebate on the purchase of one of three specified cordless electric mowers, or a $10 rebate on the purchase of any push mower. The rebate was given when the old, working, gasoline mower was turned in and a sales receipt for the new, electric mower was provided.

The program is jointly funded by the Department of Environmental Quality and Portland General Electric, the local electric utility. Two lawn mower manufacturers are also participating by supplying promotional materials. The program was initially publicized through print advertising, utility bill stuffers, public service announcements, and paid advertising by dealers. Consumers may bring their old mowers to the public utility service center or to Metro, the Portland regional transportation planning, recycling, and waste disposal agency.

The initial goal of the program was to average 1,200 trade-ins per year. The first year (1996) saw only 150 trade-ins, possibly due to the relatively high cost of the three approved electric mowers. Consequently, several changes were implemented for 1997. The rebate was increased to $50 for any new electric mower, and $15 for a new push mower. Promotional flyers containing the rebate coupon were mailed to PGE customers, and provided at major retailers and recycling centers. Special promotional weekends were held at major retail outlets, with good participation. In addition, a poster was developed by PGE and distributed to retailers and mower distributors. Promotional events were also held during the spring, culminating in Earth Day events.

During 1997, 481 gasoline mowers were turned in, and rebates totaling $23,385 were issued. This resulted in an estimated reduction in carbon monoxide emissions of 31.3 tons, and in VOC emissions of 3.5 tons. In addition, a loan program providing electric mowers to neighborhood teams was instituted. The teams shared the use of the mower for the season, again with good results.

In addition, including one incident of attempted cheating, the program was considered relatively problem-free, although several issues were raised as concerns. Good record keeping is a must. Customer interest continued past the end of the program for the season. Therefore, the deadline was extended, and in the future, the program will be run through Labor Day.

Model Rule

No rule was required. A program description was included in the Maintenance Plan submitted to EPA.

Quantification

Quantification of emission reductions was accomplished using emission factors for two- and four-cycle gasoline lawn mowers established by EPA. These are:

Two-cycle:

Four-cycle:

Determine the type of lawn mower, and then multiply the number of lawn mowers by the emission factor.

Further Information

For further information on the Oregon program, contact Nina DeConcini, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, 503 229-6788.

Similar Programs

Several areas have begun similar programs. Here are some:

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