Home Depot Mowing Down Pollution
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 04.26.06
In partnership with the Clean Air Foundation, Home Depot Canada has launched a rebate program for up to $100 back on eco-friendly lawn mowers, as part of its new "Eco Options" initiative. What qualifies: Black and Decker Electric Lawnmowers and Trimmers, Gardena Steerable and Push Lawnmowers, Murray ProSeries Low Emission Lawnmowers, and Great States Reel Lawnmowers. This mega chain seems to be on the right track…the corporate site also has tons of information on sustainable endeavors. But no word on why Eco Options is currently unavailable in the U.S. And the site search engine “corrected” our search for “eco” to “deco.” Hmm.... ::Home Depot Canada
I can't believe I'm saying this for Home Depot, but BRAVO!
You've created a positive incentive for ridding us of HIGHLY polluting two-stroke engines!
Plus offering it for the motor-free mowers is an extra-bonus, because it needs no fuel (unless you count the burrito the user had for lunch), zero pollution (unless it was a bean burrito) and requires exercise.
Go Home Despot - I mean Depot!
Do note that Home Depot also makes a lot of poor environmental calls. One eggregious example is their pressure treated lumber using CCA. While there are several, not necessarily good, but less horrifying environmental pressure treated methods, Home Depot chooses to sell the most toxic of them all, which, if the scraps are burned in a fireplace, can do serious lung damage. Plus the chemicals have been proved to leak into the soil. Yes, I shop at Home Depot, but buy my pressure treated wood elsewhere.
See, for instance,
http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/Pressure-Treated-Wood-CBO.htm
home depot still sells reel lawn mowers in the US, just without the incentive. We bought a floor model there last year at a discount. like somebody else said, i don't even have to use electricity to mow my grass, just some exercise
uuum, guys....just to point out, in Ontario it is the Provincial Government that gives you the $100 dollars for your old lawn mower.
http://ogov.newswire.ca/ontario/GONE/2005/04/21/c8397.html?lmatch=&lang=_e.html
Don't be fooled into thinking Home Depot is doing something for the environment. They get the money from the governement anyway and sell you a new mower too, perfect scheme for them.
It's the Ontario government who should be commended not a big box retailer Home Depot!
I wish Dyson made an electric lawnmower.
The Clean Air Foundation developed and initiated the Mow Down Pollution program in 2001. It is currently North America's largest lawnmower exchange program and encourages Canadians to turn in their old higher polluting gas mowers/trimmers and provides instant rebates off the purchase of cleaner alternative mowers and trimmers. All returned gas mowers and trimmers are permanently retired and recycled through partnership with recyclers across the country. The Home Depot is the main sponsor of the 2006 program and other sponsors include: the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Black and Decker, Gardena, Great States, Murray and 11 manufacturers of eco-friendly lawn and garden products. The program is taking place for a final weekend on April 29/30 at all Home Depot locations across Canada. For further information, click onto www.mowdownpollution.ca
Rich,
Thanks for the enlightenment! Bravo to Ontario, as well.
It does appear that HD is offering the discout to all of Canada, though they say "up to" $100, implying some kind of bait-and-switch.
If this is the case, then HD deserves as much credit for offering the discount to all of Canada, as a car company who designs all their cars meet California emission regulations, predicting that other states may follow suit.
Hey how about a hybrid mower that can use both a gas and electric motors according to need. I bought a hybrid car to reduce pollution and have a minimum of my money going to dicatatorships that threaten our way of life and support people that kill our young soldiers.