The Story So Far
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Since we launched the Challenge 2025 campaign in 2020, we have uncovered statistics about clean air zones that challenge the very values that they were created around. Challenge 2025 was set up as a campaign to educate and empower both domestic and professional outdoor power equipment users to make the switch from petrol-powered equipment. Specifically, we set out to encourage users to move to battery power and leave petrol where it belongs. In the past.
The Report
Through a mixture of Freedom of Information requests, surveys of domestic and professional users, emissions and fuel economy tests, we compiled ‘The Report’ – a detailed research document which demonstrates the impact of petrol-powered tools on our environment, user health and consumer attitudes towards climate change.
Three Key Statistics:
• 89% of UK council tools are petrol powered, using 600,000 litres of fuel each year.
• The emissions of the most widely used power tool exceeds that of a car!
• 84% of people agree that everybody should help to reduce pollution.
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Download The Report
Our Visit To Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone
We visited the centre of Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone to speak with residents to get their opinions on emissions, the environment and the introduction of the clean air zone in their neighbourhoods.
Noise and Vibration testing
In our noise and vibration test, we brought in experts from Earlsmere to test EGO’s battery-powered garden tools against petrol-powered tools. To understand the difference between petrol power and battery power, and the individual noise and vibration levels they emit, they carried out tests across five product categories with a tool of each type tested.
The headline revelation from this testing was that some petrol tools are up to three times louder than battery alternatives.
Getting The Word Out
Ever since compiling the statistics in The Report, we have made it our mission to educate professional users, homeowners and local government about the dangers of petrol-powered tools and to consider greener alternatives.
Social Media Coverage
Since the campaign’s inception, we have reached over 7.5 Million users on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram – bringing awareness to new heights.
We have had the pleasure of working with JayRock LawnCare & Gardening, a popular lawn-care and gardening influencer, to get the word out even further. He even dedicated an entire podcast episode to the campaign (below) in which he discusses what was found in The Report and what it means for the environment – Listen below.
Speaking on Challenge 2025, JayRock said: “Challenge2025 is a fantastic initiative in which I believe sits at the heart of many landscape professionals, one of the biggest surprises to me was how bad fuel machinery is on the environment. One comment that I seem to have heard several times from my followers across social media is that they cannot believe that fuel brush cutters, blowers and hedge trimmers are all worse for the environment than the average Ford fiesta!”
We also partnered with Mike Day Garden Maintenance who has been instrumental in spreading the findings of The Report.
When asked for a comment on Challenge 2025, Mike said:
“I’m a big believer and a big supporter of Challenge 2025. Battery Tools with less emissions have been a complete game changer to our Business. I was completely taken back to find out that 89% of UK Councils still use Petrol Powered Garden Machinery. Converting over to Battery Powered Garden tools before and from 2025 would be an advantage for the Environment, the Business financially and also your own Health and wellbeing.”
Traditional and Online Media Coverage
Over the past three years, we have gained national press coverage in the Express, Independent, Financial Times and Service Dealer Magazine.
In the Express’s article titled ‘Petrol lawnmower ban: Call for action after ‘unbelievable’ damage done ‘Worse than cars!’, they discussed how Challenge 2025 is encouraging users to switch from petrol to battery-powered tools.
They also published an article discussing the fears around the toxic emissions, that The Report uncovered.
The Independent published two articles that highlighted some of EGO’s battery-powered products that can help users feasibly make the switch from petrol. The first article featured the EGO LB5800E prominently. The second article was focused around the best hedge trimmers available today, with the EGO Power Ht2410E making the top 3.
In the Financial Times’ article around ‘Cutting-edge gadgets for the garden’, the EGO Power Plus HT2410E hedge trimmer and the CS1610E Chainsaw are both recommended and the article goes on to detail their benefits over their petrol-powered alternatives.
All the coverage we have gathered in these traditional media sources have helped massively with our goal of raising awareness around battery power being the logical alternative to petrol.