Figure 3.2

What are the stats annually?

Figure 3.1

  • An astounding 30-60% of urban fresh water is used for watering residential and commercial lawn spaces depending on the city.

  • In a given year, an estimated 67 million pounds of synthetic pesticides and chemicals are applied to residential lawns in the United States

  • Over 580 million gallons of gas are used to power just lawns mowers in the United States. This stat does not take into account the rest of the common gasoline powered lawn equipment.

  • There are approximately 60,000-70,000 severe accidents resulting from lawn mowers each year in the United States.

“LISTEN HERE: We took our interviews to the streets to figure out how the average American chooses to treat their lawns, and what they think about it.”
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Figure 3.3

Figure 3.4

The cost of a lawn

To maintain a conventional lawn, it is either going to take a lot of time and effort, or a lot of money. There are two primary ways in which people care for their lawns. On the one hand, people purchase the equipment and care for their lawns on their own time. While this takes a much larger up front investment it often allows landowners more say over the management practices. However, homeowners are less experienced than professionals in terms of product choice and issue identification. Additionally there is a much larger time commitment when a homeowner undertakes management of their land.

On the other hand, landowners have the option to hire out professionals to come and care for their property. The cost of consistent lawn care services quickly adds up into the thousands, but for people with the money, their time is more valuable. It is estimated that 54 million Americans mow their lawns each weekend and the average homeowner spends 70 hours caring for their lawn each year [14].

The lawn care industry is the most pervasive in the United States with over 690,000 active lawn care providers in 2024 according to IBISWorld. The industry has seen a steady growth of 5.5% a year with no signs of stopping [15]. With a growing population and more land being developed everyday, the lawn care industry will continue to grow every year unless there is a cultural shift. “Once the person with the 2 acres of mowed lawn becomes the social pariah will we see real change” said Dr. Tallamy.

The cost of services has steadily risen every year as well propelling the lawn care industry to a global annual GDP of US$349.65 million in 2024 according to Statista. The industry is also projected to grow US$11 million per year reaching over US$400 million by 2029 [16].

The industry is one of the largest and highest employment sectors in the United States and by no means should that stop. The aim is to transition services to support the ecological systems of our land. Lawn care providers could put more emphasis on planting native species and creating habitat in ways which satisfy cultural expectations and ecological necessities.

How are pesticides used

Pesticides are typically applied to turf and other crops through a pressurized nozzle that aerosolizes the liquid into a mist. This process allows a large area of effect for application and expedited drying. Most common pesticides have an adhesive compound in their chemical make up that helps the spray attach itself to the desired area.

Pesticides have come a long way through the years and are now commonly sorted into two categories selective and broad-spectrum. Selective chemicals are sprayed liberally because they are only effective on selective plant species. They work by targeting certain compounds which are found in common weeds but not turf and attacking these compounds [17].

Broad-spectrum refers to any pesticide which kills on contact. These versions are most commonly sold in stores and used by individuals rather than professionals. They also tend to be more dangerous because they kill most forms of living tissue on contact [18].

Figure 3.5

“The label is the law”

To prevent illnesses and injuries caused from applying and existing in close proximity to these chemicals regulations and advisories are printed on the back of the bottles. The World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the EPA provide the criteria for what information needs to be included in these warnings based off of the conclusions fro their respective risk assessment teams. These teams are also in charge of deeming if these chemicals are food safe [19].

The term ‘the label is the law’ has been coined in the industry as a means to express their dedication to following the guidelines exactly as written. In terms of ethical practice, this is exactly how a business should operate following the regulators suggestions to the T or even more conservatively than recommended.

Issues arise when testing and data available to technocratic institutions is inconclusive or disputed. With the majority of the most common pesticides on the market today, many officiating bodies feel there is not enough data available to make concrete rulings on the potential dangers of pesticides. Often different entities disagree and evaluate the same chemicals at different levels of risk.

To avoid the unknown dangers presented by these synthetic chemicals it is recommended to use more organically sourced chemicals and limit spraying if not totally eliminate. While there is not enough conclusive evidence to ban many of these chemicals, reducing exposure is still recommended especially for the most susceptible groups [20].