A rebate program in Toledo, Ohio, is helping the city of almost 300,000 people go green. It's been so successful, in fact, that the initiative is being extended through the end of the summer.
Beginning in July 2022, Toledo's Division of Environmental Services has been offering a $100 rebate to Lucas County residents who replace their old gasoline-powered lawn mowers with electric ones. Although the program was set to expire on May 31, the city recently extended the deadline.
They've accepted over 300 rebate applications to date, with surely more to come by the current expiration date on August 31, though officials are already indicating even that date may not be final either.
"If we have money left over at the end of this extension, we will work on trying to get another extension, but no guarantees," said Rachel Hart, the city's director of communications.
One reason this program continues to be successful after nearly three years is that it's already doing noticeable good for the local environment.
The electric mowers already purchased under the program have saved 17 tons of airborne emissions every year, Hart said. A 2021 study by the International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment discovered that electric mowers emit approximately half the carbon dioxide emissions of a gas-powered mower over the course of their lifetimes.
The fact that electric mowers cost slightly more than gas ones is the kind of easily-addressed problem that governments exist to alleviate for their citizens, with programs like this rebate.
If you're reading this and you're from the greater Toledo area, there are a few simple steps to check if you're eligible for the rebate. You must live in Lucas County, you must properly dispose of your gas-powered mower, and you need to submit both a receipt for the electric mower's purchase and a disposal certificate for the discarded gas mower. The proper documentation can be submitted at the city's website.
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