Clean Green Yard Machines Performance Report for 2009 Lawn Mower Trade-In Program By the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District January 2010 Clean Green Yard Machines 2009 (CGYM), part of the Air District’s Healthy Air Living initiative, began on April 22. CGYM 2009 was originally scheduled to expire on May 31 however; a slow economy provided the opportunity for an extension. The Air District continued to keep CGYM open until all funds are exhausted with the possibility of transforming this into a year-round program, provided funding continues to be available. As of January 1, 2010, CGYM funding from the 2009-year program has not yet been exhausted and the program remains active. This report includes the following: • History of Clean Green Yard Machines • How the Program works • Total program budget for the year • Total vouchers issued in 2009 • Total vouchers redeemed/mowers retired/mowers sold • Previous years’ total mowers sold • Rundown of all outreach efforts to promote program History of Clean Green Yard Machines CGYM has evolved and improved every maintained a partnership with this company year since it began in 2001. The Air District due to their excellent customer service and has previously held one-day trade-in events, ingenuity. where residents came from neighboring counties within the Air Basin to turn in their Neuton has offered better value and innovative older gas mowers in favor of a great deal on methods every year, to help Make CGYM easier a new electric mowers as well as offering to manage while increasing accessibility to the straight discounts for various non-polluting residents of the Valley thus, improving air quality mowers from hardware stores. with clean-operating cordless electric mowers. Previous years’ programs have included How the Program works partners such as Orchard Supply Hardware, Home Depot, Black and Decker, American During the planning stages of the 2007 program, Lawn Mower Company and recycling Neuton asked if there was any way to conduct companies throughout the Valley. a trade-in promotion that would allow them to In 2006 the Air District contracted with the conduct business in their usual manner, direct Neuton Lawn Mower Company to hold mail order rather than holding single day events a lawn mower trade-in program and has in the Valley. Through research as to how to hold a trade-in program without holding one-day events, the Air District discovered that recycling agencies in every Valley county were willing to accept retired gas mowers directly and issue verification to the participant, allowing them to order their new mower by phone. The Air District devised a program allowing residents to call, requesting participation in the program. The air District sends the caller a program voucher with instructions to turn in their old mower at a participating local recycler, have the recycler verify with a special code sticker affixed to the voucher and call Neuton directly to order to their new mower at a discount of more than 50 percent. Upon payment, Neuton delivers the mower directly to the resident’s home. Through the 2009 program, residents have the choice of a purchasing a 14-inch cordless Neuton mower (CE5) for $150 (regularly $399), or a 19-inch cordless electric mower (CE6) for $250 (regularly $499). Neuton offered the Air District the CE5 for $285. The participating Valley resident pays $150 and the Air District pays $135. The CE6 was offered at $100 more. Program Budget Funding Amount District $ 113,750 PG&E $ 20,000 Valley CAN $ 10,000 Merced County $ 5,000 Tulare County $ 5,000 Turlock Irrigation District $ 1,000 City of Ceres $ 500 Total $ 155,250 The total number of mowers replaced during the 2009 program is shown in the two charts below. Orders by County thru 12/3/09 Fresno 175 Kern 65 Orders thru Kings 13 12/3/09 Madera 19 CE 5 262 Mariposa 2 CE 6 363 Merced 43 Total 625 San Joaquin 103 Stanislaus 123 Tulare 82 Total 625 To date, the District has issued a total of 1515 program vouchers. A total of 625 vouchers have actually been redeemed, bringing the total expenditure for mowers sold to $84,375. Annual Program Totals to date Below is a summary of the total number of non-polluting lawn mowers sold through CGYM each year and the annual emissions reductions from gas to electric. Note: • Emissions from one gas-powered lawn mower is equivalent to 40 newer cars. • The average gas mower produces 5.6 pounds of nitrogen oxides (NOx) per year. Year Number of Nitrogen oxide Emission reductions compared to mowers sold emissions reduced number of passenger vehicles 2001 1,185 6,636 pounds of NOx Equal to 47,400 cars 2002 1,138 6,372.8 pounds of NOx Equal to 45,520 cars 2004 327 1,831.2 pounds of NOx Equal to 13,080 cars 2005 595 3,332 pounds of NOx Equal to 23,800 cars 2006 787 4,407.2 pounds of NOx Equal to 31,480 cars 2007 912 5,107.2 pounds of NOx Equal to 36,480 cars 2008 866 4,849.6 pounds of NOx Equal to 34,640 cars 2009 625 3,500 pounds of NOx Equal to 25,000 cars Total 6435 18.018 tons of NOx Equal to 257,400 cars Clean Green Yard Machines 2009 is still open. The District is actively pursuing more funding to keep the program active on an ongoing basis. Outreach for Clean Green Yard Machines in 2009 is shown below in its entirety. Clean Green Yard Machines 2009 outreach summary • Total spent on print: $18,008.17 • Total number of print ads run: 22 • Total spent on radio: $3,102 • Total number of 15-second spots: 197 • Total budget: $22,320 PROJECT: Production - Print VAD 33445 Fresno Bee Strip Ad "CGYM 2009" 4/22 $1,292.89 VAD 33500 Stockton Record Strip Ad "CGYM 2009" 4/22 $152.57 VAD 33501 Modesto Bee Strip Ad "CGYM 2009" 4/21 $65.39 VAD 33502 Merced Sun Star Strip Ad "CGYM 2009" 4/21 $43.59 VAD 33503 Madera Tribune Strip Ad "CGYM 2009" 4/27 $0.00 VAD 33504 Hanford Sentinel Strip Ad "CGYM 2009" 4/21 $0.00 VAD 33505 Visalia Times Delta Strip Ad "CGYM 2009" 4/21 $87.18 VAD 33506 Bakersfield Californian Strip Ad "CGYM 2009" 4/22 $21.80 VAD 33523 Visalia Times Delta Web Banner "CGYM 2009" 4/21 $120.00 VAD 33508 El Popular Strip Ad "CGYM 2009" 4/27 $65.39 VAD 33507 Vida Strip Ad "CGYM 2009" 4/27 $523.08 PROJECT: Print Schedule - "April" Bakersfield Californian (4/22, match date 4/29) $1,338.86 Fresno Bee: Display (4/22, match date 4/29) $2,000.00 Hanford Sentinel (4/22, match date 4/29) $816.48 Madera Tribune (4/22, match date 4/29) $352.00 Merced Sun Star (4/22, match date 4/29) $411.76 Modesto Bee (4/22, match date 4/29) $1,764.76 Stockton Record (4/22, match date 4/28) $3,597.40 Visalia Times Delta (4/22, match dates 4/23,4/24,4/25) $1,355.00 El Popular (4/24,match date 5/1) $800.02 Vida - San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Fresno (4/29, match date 5/6) $3,200.00 SUBTOTAL PRINT: $18,008.17 PROJECT: Production - 1X:15 Radio English and Spanish $100.00 PROJECT: Radio Schedule - "CGYM-Modesto" No. of Spots 219-49068 KJSN $838.00 17 219-49067 KMRQ $458.00 22 219-49069 KOSO $412.00 16 PROJECT: Radio Schedule - "CGYM-Fresno" 052-105933 KBOS $206.00 20 052-105937 KHGE $200.00 48 94713 KLBN $198.00 22 97673 KMGV $370.00 28 97672 KSKS $420.00 24 SUBTOTAL RADIO $3,102.00 197 Project Management/PR $1,210.00 TOTAL BUDGET $22,320.17 This ad ran in the Fresno Bee, Madera Tribune and Hanford Sentinel. This ad ran in the Modesto Bee, Stockton Record, Merced Sun-Star. This ad ran the Spanish newspapers El Popular and Vida En El Valle. This ad ran the Bakersfield Californian and Visalia Times Delta. Run dates for these newspaper ads are shown above. The following flyers were used on the Air District’s website and distributed at all major events that the District either attended or hosted. These events (totaling at least 20) included Earth Days, Asthma Health Fairs, air quality Chats and Healthy Air Living Business Summits throughout the Valley. The District sent a press release on the program to all Valley media, as seen below: News Release For immediate release April 21, 2009 Attn: City, business and assignment editors Central region Jaime Holt (559) 230-5850 Northern Region Anthony Presto (209) 557-6472 Southern region Brenda Turner (661) 392-5581 Spanish-language contact Claudia Encinas (559) 230-5851 Air District kicks off Clean Green Yard Machines 2009 Annual mower trade-in program offers two choices Beginning Earth Day, April 22, San Joaquin Valley residents can replace their old, gasoline-powered lawnmowers with nonpolluting, electric mowers by participating in one of the Valley Air District’s most popular annual incentive programs. Clean Green Yard Machines, part of the Healthy Air Living initiative, offers up to 62 percent off the purchase of cordless electric mowers in order to reduce air pollution caused by gas-burning lawn-care equipment. One gas mower can pollute as much as 40 newer-model cars and is one of the biggest polluters used at home. This year, the trade-in program offers a choice of two different mowers with the retirement of a gas mower: The Neuton CE5 14-inch mower for just $150, or the CE6 19-inch mower for just $250.