Another US City Bans Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers

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Gas-powered leaf blowers are a real problem for the environment. They discharge toxic chemicals and planet-warming emissions into the air and disrupt natural habitats. If you have any skepticism, a 2023 report makes it clear: the impacts of gas-powered lawn and garden equipment generated more than 600,000 tons of carbon dioxide — an amount equivalent to the pollution from about 135,000 internal combustion engine (ICE) cars.

The trend to switch to zero emissions lawn equipment is gaining momentum. But change is difficult, and a number of opponents have spoken out against bans on gas-powered leaf blowers.

Many leaf blowers are powered by two-stroke engines, which run on a mix of oil and gas. “These are very inefficient engines,” said Jamie Banks, founder and president of Quiet Communities, “and so they emit a lot of these toxic pollutants.”’ Quiet and natural soundscapes have become precious commodities, according to the organization. Leaf blowers are just one of many sources of noise “that are imperiling public health.”

Today there are battery-electric power tools, leaf blowers, and lawn mowers of every description available. Options for all-electric lawn equipment are available that are oh-so quiet, sustainable, and also super cool and high tech. Homeowners feel like they’re gaining rather than losing out by turning their proverbial backs on traditional powered lawn implements.

A California law requires all newly sold small-motor equipment primarily used for landscaping to be zero-emission — essentially to be battery-operated or plug-in — and includes any engine that produces less than 25 gross horsepower, such as lawn mowers, weed trimmers, chain saws, golf carts, specialty vehicles, generators, and pumps.

The law emerged after research about small off-road engines (SORE), which are spark-ignition engines rated at or below 19 kilowatts, became evident. Engines in this category are primarily used for lawn, garden, and other small off-road equipment. The population of SORE in California (15.4 million) is similar to that of light-duty passenger cars (14.0 million). While commercial lawn and garden equipment are only 8% of the SORE population, they account for 20% of smog-forming emissions from SORE during the summer.

As a result, gas-powered leafblowers in California and elsewhere are leaving the marketplace.

How do commercial landscapers complete their daily jobs without traditional gas-powered leaf blowers? They need multiple sets of batteries and a charger for each battery. With multiple batteries, they don’t have to stop work when your battery gets low; they switch to a second or third battery.

When the workday is done, they put each battery on its charger and forget it until the next day. Contractors who buy the same brand of electric leaf blower and batteries find it best, as those batteries are compatible with all their tools. Sure, this duo represents a fairly large first-time expense, but then again there’s no need to buy gas, and that eliminate reduces daily fuel usage costs by up to two-thirds.

Opponents Speak Out about Gas-Powered Lawn Equipment Bans

Then again, not every city or citizen is ready to relinquish gas-powered leaf blowers.

While the goal is to reduce the climate and noise impacts on the community, not everyone is convinced. Some landscapers argue that using electric blowers takes 20-50% longer to clear properties of leaves than if using gas-powered leaf blowers, and the difficulty increases when leaves are wet. These translate into increased costs which are passed onto the consumer.

Rich Goldstein, president of the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association, representing 550 companies in the state, explained the dilemma for businesses. “My company, I have $150,000 to $200,000 worth of gas-powered blowers. What am I supposed to do, throw them in the garbage?”

The city of South Portland was ready to institute a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers, but critics had bemoaned costs of replacing power tools. There were also concerns about batteries and claims of government overreach, as reported by local Maine station Fox23. Anger from the public and threatening messages to city staff ahead of a vote pushed the council to reconsider the measure.

Councilor Misha Pride of South Portland, District 5 described the atmosphere that led up to the more limited decision.

“I’ve been insulted, I’ve been threatened, I mean, let me tell you, the tone of this conversation is out of hand compared to what this is about, like really out of hand…then I’m encouraging this. I’m encouraging the guy who called me and told me he better not see me on the street. I’m encouraging that. I’m encouraging the person who called my legal assistant and told her he hopes she dies and (who) called her a ‘C’ word.”

Instead, city departments will now phase out gas-powered leaf blowers over time.

A Case Study: Cambridge, Massachusetts Shuts Down Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers

A ban on gas-powered leaf blowers has taken effect in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Representative Ciccolo of Lexington submitted a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3055) of Michelle L. Ciccolo for legislation to provide a tax credit for electric landscaping equipment for small yard care businesses. The state Senate concurred in late February.

Residents now will have to use devices powered either by rechargeable batteries or via electrical cords, as reported by the Boston Globe. By 2026, the ban will extend to professional landscapers, too. The transition to all-electric blowers, which are significantly quieter than gas-powered leaf blowers and don’t emit their toxic fumes, has been floated for years in the community.

“Prices will go up for maintenance in Cambridge if people want the same garden aesthetic that they have,” Catherine Brownlee, managing director of a Belmont-based company called Landscape Collaborative, Inc., warned. “It’s just going to take a lot more time.”

Not everyone agreed. “It’s just part of the routine now,” countered John Nardone, deputy commissioner of the city’s public works department. The department has been increasing its use of electric blowers over time, well before such a move was required by city ordinance. A list of permitted leaf blower businesses has been generated for private landscaping companies that are already in compliance.

Cambridge’s Tags Hardware in Porter Square has had a full line of electric leaf-blowers for the last seven years. Mike Mongeau, the store’s hardware manager, told the Globe that his customers like the benefits of using electric tools, including the reality that they no longer have to deal with the smell, handling, or mess associated with having gas cans at home.

R & S Landscaping in nearby Medford hasn’t used gas-powered leaf blowers or other such lawn equipment for at least three years. The company has been a contractor with Cambridge to assist with clearing parks and cemeteries. When officials enacted the ban, co-owner Keri Brown said her company didn’t fight it. “We figured it was a sign of the times. It was going to happen, sooner or later.”