A landscaping company in Colorado is leading by example with a change that could improve daily health for workers and neighbors — and it starts with transitioning away from gas-powered lawn tools.
Designscapes Colorado, a commercial landscaping company based just south of Denver, recently transitioned to electric trimmers and leaf blowers to comply with a new state air quality rule. While the mandate applies only to government agencies and their contractors during peak ozone season, the company embraced the shift early — not just to win contracts but also to protect the health of its workers and community.
The impact is fewer fumes, less noise, and reduced exposure to toxic emissions. "Reducing the noise, reducing the stress through all the vibration, reducing being exposed to those fumes all day — I thought that was a really positive thing to give to our team members," said operations manager Brian Levins in a Colorado Public Radio interview.
Unlike cars, most small lawn tools burn fuel without emissions controls, making them a hidden source of harmful air pollution. A single gas leaf blower can emit as much smog-forming pollution in an hour as driving a car from Los Angeles to Denver. That's particularly bad news for people with asthma, heart conditions, or chronic lung disease — although daily exposure to smog is a health risk for everyone.
While the state's new rules don't yet cover commercial companies, agencies are prioritizing education and outreach over penalties for now, hoping to build momentum. The upfront investment in electric tools can be a hurdle for smaller businesses, but government incentives can help. Designscapes offset its $50,000 equipment purchase with a $12,000 grant and state tax credits — support that could be key to helping others join in the transition.
This isn't the first time we've seen local action lead to cleaner air. There have been similar bans in Massachusetts, New York, and Virginia, and California is phasing gas lawn tools out entirely. Meanwhile, cities across the country are exploring incentive programs to help homeowners and small businesses upgrade to electric yard tools.
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As Elise Jones, the executive director of the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, said, "We'd all breathe easier if Colorado would step up and be a leader in transitioning away from noisy, polluting gasoline-powered lawn mowers, weed whackers and leaf blowers to clean, quiet electric-powered alternatives."
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