Still Throwing Your Leaves in the Trash?

Good Morning America announced today that “A gas-powered blower emits as much pollution in an hour as a car would if it drove 100 miles, according to the Citizen’s League for Environmental Action Now.”

An alternatives include to this gas-powered machines are electric-powered blower, which are “50 to 70 percent quieter than a gas-powered version and emits no air pollution.” If you purchase one with a mulch setting, you can breakdown the leaves you pick up to a ” tenth of their former size.” According to GMA, some brands to consider include:

Or if you want to go low-tech, an old fashion rake can always do the job, plus “150-pound person could burn 144 calories while raking leaves for 30 minutes.”

Most importantly, once your leaves are collected, you need a place to dispose of them. With Earth911.com’s Recycling Location Database, you can find one of over 4,900 composting programs or drop-offs in your area that accept leave debris.

To check out more about cleaning up your yard, check out the “Green Your Garden” segment in conjunction with SafeLawns.org on today’s Good Morning America.

GMA Screen Shot

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Archived Comments

  1. beautifullyused.com » Tuesday’s Tip: The Rake

    posted on November 10th, 2009 at 11:12 am

    [...] you’re like us in New England, you’re gathering up leaves. Earth 911 had some good information about energy/pollution with the use of leaf blowers that is worth [...]

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