While a well-maintained lawn and garden can provide a rewarding opportunity for weekend botanists, all that grows in the yard is not necessarily green for the environment.

The EPA has determined that gasoline-powered landscape equipment like mowers, trimmers, blowers, and chainsaws account for over 5% of our urban air pollution.

When combined with the vast amount of water used (30% of water consumption in urban areas in the eastern United States is for watering lawns), the tons of waste produced from mowing, and gallons of chemicals washed into the water supply from fertilizers and pesticides, your lawn could be one of the greatest spoilers of the environment in your neighborhood.

But keeping your yard healthy does not have to be at the expense of the community or planet if you take the green path to greenery. With a little bit of effort, education, and commitment, your yard can be a healthy tool to not only conserving natural resources but also improving the state of the environment.