Clean Air Partners Urges Residents to Fight Hidden Backyard Pollution Hazards

This Air Quality Awareness week, the region marks progress on air quality while calling on communities to take action in their own backyards

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Baltimore-Washington region has seen meaningful improvements in air quality over the past decade, but maintaining clean air requires ongoing effort from everyone. This Air Quality Awareness Week (May 4–10, 2026), Clean Air Partners is encouraging residents to take a closer look at their lawn care routines and the hidden pollution costs that come with them.

Many residents do not realize the significant pollution and health impacts caused by choices they make in their own backyards. Gas-powered lawn tools increase smog by releasing harmful chemicals into the air, and exposure to these pollutants can trigger serious health issues such as breathing difficulties, asthma attacks and heart problems.

The scale of that impact may surprise many homeowners. On average, one hour of gas-powered mowing produces the same emissions as driving a gas-powered car from Washington, D.C., to Cleveland, Ohio. — a distance of more than 300 miles. Using a backpack-style gas leaf blower for one hour creates as much pollution as driving a gas-powered car for more than 1,100 miles.

“The Baltimore-Washington area has worked hard to improve its air quality over the years, and that progress is something we should all be proud of,” said Mike Sowko, Clean Air Partners board chair. “But clean air is not something we can take for granted. The choices we make starting at home—the tools we use, the products we apply—add up across an entire region.”

With warmer weather bringing a higher risk of poor air quality days, Clean Air Partners offers these tips to cut not just grass but also pollution:

• Pass on gas tools. Opt for electric or manual lawn care. Compared with gas tools, electric lawn equipment can lower emissions as well as noise pollution, health risks, and maintenance costs and time.
• Mow on low ozone days when air quality is good.
• Go organic for fertilizers and pesticides. Try natural alternatives such as compost, alfalfa, fish meal and neem oil.
• Mow less often by letting grass grow a little taller.
• Make your own mulch by leaving grass clippings instead of bagging and sending to the landfill.
• Plant native plants. Reducing overall turf area lowers maintenance needs and supports pollinators.

To bring these tips directly into communities, Clean Air Partners is hosting a series of pop-up events featuring its educational "Backyard Bubble" demonstration. The hands-on exhibit allows participants to visualize and test their knowledge of how common outdoor activities affect air quality. Attendees can also pledge to green their lawn care routines and enter for the chance to win free electric tools at the following events:

• May 23, 2026, at Waverly Ace Hardware (Baltimore, MD)
• May 24, 2026, at Frager's Ace Hardware and Garden Center (Washington, D.C.)
• May 30, 2026, at Fairfax Ace Hardware (Fairfax, VA)

With more than 100 U.S. cities and towns recently passing policies to ban or reduce gas-powered leaf blowers due to noise and air pollution concerns, now is an ideal time to make the switch to a cleaner, quieter electric model.

Clean Air Partners is also hosting its 2026 Gas Lawn Tools Exchange. It allows residents of Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia to responsibly recycle their gas-powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers, or trimmers and receive a new electric replacement at no cost. The exchange is held in partnership with A Few Cool Hardware Stores, a group of 15 employee‑owned hardware stores in the Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia and Baltimore metropolitan areas.

For more information and resources for Air Quality Awareness Week, visit www.CleanAirPartners.net.

Clean Air Partners is a public-private partnership educating the greater metropolitan Baltimore-Washington region about health risks associated with poor air quality and the impacts everyday actions have on the environment. Since 1997, Clean Air Partners has been dedicated to empowering individuals and organizations to take simple actions to reduce air pollution, protect public health, and improve air quality. www.CleanAirPartners.net