Celebrating ten years of Mow Down Pollution

The Home Depot Canada and Summerhill Impact challenge Canadians to retire 10,000 pieces of gas-powered lawn and garden equipment

TORONTO, April 19 /CNW/ - This spring, as Canadians toss aside their snow shovels and spruce up their yards, The Home Depot Canada and Summerhill Impact (formerly the Clean Air Foundation) are celebrating the 10th anniversary of Mow Down Pollution. The event will kick off on Earth Day and is intended to encourage and reward Canadians for replacing their old, high-polluting gas-powered lawn and garden equipment with cleaner alternatives. This year, Summerhill Impact and The Home Depot Canada are challenging consumers to do their part for the environment by retiring 10,000 gas-powered lawnmowers to celebrate a decade of mowing down pollution.

Few people think of lawn and garden equipment as a major source of air pollution, but the small engines found in lawnmowers, leaf blowers, and weed trimmers are a significant source of greenhouse gases, air pollution, and smog. Environment Canada estimates that these engines create about 9 per cent of Canada's total mobile air emissions.

Over the past nine years, Mow Down Pollution has significantly contributed to reducing these emissions by responsibly recycling over 34,000 gas lawnmowers and trimmers. These efforts have prevented the release of more than 1,100 tonnes of greenhouse gas and smog-forming emissions.

"These results are impressive," said Naomi Resnick, Program Manager at Summerhill Impact. "We are extremely proud of Mow Down Pollution's success, which we couldn't have achieved without the support of our recycling partners across the country, the vendors that provide products, and of course, The Home Depot Canada."

The Mow Down Pollution event will take place at all 179 The Home Depot Canada locations from Thursday, April 22 until Sunday, May 2, 2010. Throughout the 11-day event, consumers who turn in an old working or non-working gas-powered lawnmower, string trimmer, hedge trimmer or leaf blower will receive an instant rebate in an amount ranging from $10 to $100, which may be used at The Home Depot Canada on the purchase of a cleaner alternative that creates less pollution while in use. There are over 25 different products to choose from, making it easy for Canadians to take positive action that will benefit both their wallet and the earth.

"Mow Down Pollution is a great example of how simple changes made by Canadians at home can make a significant and positive difference on the environment," said Gino DiGioacchino, vice president of Merchandising, The Home Depot Canada. "According to the results of the second annual Canadian Green Home Index, sponsored by The Home Depot, while the majority of Canadians are still interested in making changes at home, they often don't know what more they can do for the environment and have been discouraged from making purchases due to economic reasons. Mow Down Pollution directly addresses these concerns as it not only makes it easy for consumers to see the difference they can make by switching to lawn care products that create less pollution while in use, but it also provides a financial incentive at a time when it matters to Canadians."

About Summerhill Impact:

Summerhill Impact is a not-for-profit organization that develops and delivers public outreach initiatives that address policy and environmental priorities. Our programs focus on informing Canadians about the options they have to live a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle and encouraging significant behaviour change. We strive to make better environmental choices easy for consumers, allowing them to contribute to a sustained, positive, and measurable impact on the environment.

About The Home Depot Canada:

Founded in 1978, in Atlanta, Georgia, The Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer, currently operating more than 2,200 stores, including 179 The Home Depot stores across Canada. In fiscal 2009, The Home Depot had retail sales of $66.2 billion and earnings from continuing operations of $2.6 billion. The Company employs more than 300,000 people, including more than 28,000 Canadians.

For further information: MairiAnna Bachynsky, Optimum Public Relations, [email protected], [phone]; Sheri Papps, Tiziana Baccega, The Home Depot, [email protected], [email protected], [phone]