TAUNTON, ENGLAND - MAY 15: Detailed view of the lawnmower as Groudsman Gary Higgins cuts the outfield at Kings College Taunton. The coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19, are having a fundamental impact on society, government, sports and the economy in United Kingdom. As all sports events in United Kingdom have been cancelled athletes struggle to continue their training as usual on May 15, 2020 in Taunton, England. (Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY- The Lawn Mower Exchange Program is back in Utah in an effort to keep the air clean. The new program that kicked off Monday gives residents the option to go electric while also receiving a $300 rebate.
Utah leaders encouraged residents to participate in the Lawn Mower Exchange Program by trading in their gas lawn mowers for an electric one. Residents who don’t trade in a gas-powered model can still receive a $150 rebate towards an electric mower.
At an event at the International Peace Gardens Tuesday, Division of Air Quality Director Bryce Bird said lawn and garden equipment can produce some of the worst air quality.
Rebates, both $300 for those who trade gas for electric and $150 for those just purchasing electric, are available to the first 2,500 people to sign up.
As determined by the Environmental Protection Agency, people who live in areas that regularly experience poor air quality are eligible. These counties include:
In Salt Lake City, the promotion carries even more perks.
“The city will even come and haul away your old mower,” Mayor Erin Mendenhall said. “Unlike past years where there has been an in-person exchange, we are going to be utilizing our Call 2 Haul program.”
Other rules apply to the rebate program. In order to qualify, you must be at least 18 years old, live in the qualifying counties, and must have purchased the electric mower after Feb. 25, 2021. Additionally, the program only provides one rebate per household, and will not pay more than the value of the electric mower. The rebates do not cover taxes and fees.