Many of the tools you use day-to-day, especially the ones for maintaining your garden, produce high pollution emissions, most notably volatile organic compounds (VOC).
VOCs are organic chemicals released from burning fuel and are dangerous to both human health and the environment.
According to statistics by the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a new gas powered lawn mower running for an hour emits the same levels of VOCs as 8 new cars driving 55 miles per hour for the same amount of time.
By now, you’re probably asking yourself “But how will I take care of my garden without a powerful lawnmower?”
Well, that’s where cordless electric tools come into play.
Replacing your old home and garden tools with newer, battery-powered products, will not only save you time and money, but it will also reduce the overall pollution levels.
But first, let’s take a look at what makes these tools so good and eco-friendly.
Better Use Of power
Thanks to technology advancements, cordless tech devices are equipped with intelligent chips that allow them to control the performance ratio of current and voltage according to the task at hand.
This means that the power output can increase and decrease depending on the size of the project, saving you valuable energy and reducing your overall carbon footprint.
No Emissions
When it comes to green activities, gardening appears to be as green as it gets. Well, we hate to break it to you, but it’s the exact opposite.
According to the EPA, Americans burn more than 3 billion litres of gas each year when maintaining their garden, producing up to 5% of the nation’s air pollution.
Fortunately, in 2011, the EPA introduced new standards for motorized garden tools, which led to manufacturers cutting emissions from their models by more than 35%.
However, they still produce enough volatile organic compounds to pollute the air, and going cordless is a much better and eco-friendly option.
Even though electric tools don’t eliminate pollution completely, the electric industry is much more regulated and pollution is not in your garden.
Additionally, you can also charge them with solar panels to further decrease your carbon footprint.
No Spills
Petrol powered tools usually require a mixture of oil and gas for fuel, and this can be quite the pollutant.
What’s even worse though, is the accidental fuel spills that occur while filling up lawn mowers or hedge trimmers.
EPA estimates that more than 64 million litres of fuel is spilt each year while refuelling lawn equipment.
To put that into perspective, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, one of the most devastating environmental disasters in history, spilt “just” 40 million litres.
Aside from contaminating the groundwater, spilt oil also evaporates into the air and turns into smog when combined with volatile organic compounds produced by vehicles.
And even just using your gas-powered equipment causes pollution in the immediate surroundings.
By using cordless tools you won’t need to worry about any of that. All you have to do is charge it and push a button.
Recycling
Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries stand behind the cordless product revolution. They are lightweight, hold a large amount of power, and charge very quickly.
However, they are not just for home and garden tools. They are everywhere around us – in every cell phone, appliance, and computer.
Still, despite their convenience, their lifetime is limited, so most of them when exhausted tend to end up in landfills, causing the dangerous chemicals to leak and permeate the soil and groundwater.
Luckily, you can find your nearest battery recycling point across the UK which are run by local councils and the government.
Also, major electronics retailers have been trying to put a stop to this by making the battery recycling process much easier.
All you need to do is drop them off at your local recycling centre or find out about initiatives from local electronic stores that may offer their own scheme for recycling.
Since 1995, they have recycled more than 42 million pounds of batteries across the United States.
Recycling these batteries means that resources are conserved and it only adds to the eco-value of cordless equipment.
So, besides being environmentally friendly, cordless tools produce almost zero waste, which can then be recycled.
The Bottom Line
Gardening is a great way of giving back to the earth, and you shouldn’t give up on it just because some tools are bad for the environment.
Instead, replace them with newer cordless tools that are both eco-friendly and easier to use.
Have a look at some reviews online to find the best ones that people have used.
For example, this post details some of the best cordless electric hedge trimmers around at the moment.
This one is UK based, but there are plenty in the US and other countries, too.
According to the EPA, the replacement of 1.000 gas-powered garden tools with battery powered ones would spare the air more than 19.000 pounds of toxic VOCs every year.
