Albertans Can Cash in on Old Lawn Mowers28/04/2005Albertans can turn in their old polluting gas lawn mowers and trimmers at any The Home Depot® store across the province for an instant rebate of up to $100 on the purchase of an environmentally-friendly alternative. The nation-wide lawn mower recycling and rebate program, Mow Down Pollution, runs April 28 through May 8 and is bigger and better than ever. Climate Change Central and the Clean Air Foundation, in partnership with The Home Depot Canada and the One-Tonne Challenge, launched the program to help Canadians be 'garden smart' by recycling older, higher polluting lawn mowers and trimmers for products that reduce emissions and air pollutants and conserve energy and water. This year, The Home Depot Canada will donate $10,000 in lawn and garden care supplies to the municipality whose citizens have turned in the greatest number of old gas lawn mowers to The Home Depot Canada (based on average donations per store within the municipality), in support of the natural restoration of a community green space. "Due to the positive response from our customers to the Mow Down Pollution program in the past, The Home Depot is proud to launch its fifth - and most extensive - lawn mower recycling and rebate program," said Annette Verschuren, president of The Home Depot Canada and EXPO Design Centre. "This year, we've expanded the program because we want consumers to think about more than just high-polluting mowers and trimmers. We encourage everyone to use products that not only benefit the beauty of his/her home and garden, but also are kinder to the environment." Last year, Alberta had the highest number of returned mowers and trimmers per store in Canada. Nationally, The Home Depot and the Clean Air Foundation hope to retire more than 4,000 two-stroke mowers and trimmers, the equivalent of 192 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. "The style of motor, rather than age, is what people should look at when considering whether to recycle their gas mower or trimmer," said Allan Amey, President and CEO of Climate Change Central. "Any mower or trimmer with a two-stroke motor emits significant greenhouse gas emissions. If you see blue smoke when starting your lawnmower, you probably have a two-stroke mower." Depending on the new product chosen, the instant rebates range from $10 to $100. This year, the $100 rebate will apply to the purchase of a Black & Decker® 19" Electric Lawn Hog Mulching Mower, which retails for $299 - close to a 35 per cent discount. Other brand names offered as part of the rebate program include Murray, Great States and Garden®.
"Each summer weekend, about 2.7 million Canadians mow their lawns, using 151 million litres of gasoline per year," said Ersilia Serafini, executive director of the Clean Air Foundation. "By bringing in old gas lawn mowers and trimmers to The Home Depot for free recycling during Mow Down Pollution and choosing cleaner options, Canadians can take a big step toward reducing greenhouse gases and improving local air quality." For more information or to schedule an interview, media should contact:
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