Aspirus Keweenaw is leading efforts to reduce its carbon footprint by investing in an electric lawn mower. This riding mower is used for lawn maintenance on Aspirus Keweenaw’s main campus and surrounding clinics.
“The new mower is environmentally friendly,” said Jason Bessner, Director – Regional Facilities. “Historically, gas-powered lawn equipment generated five percent of the air pollution in the United States each year. A gas-free mower eliminates the noise pollution, gasoline smell and potential contamination from hazards like spilled gases and oils that are associated with gas mowers. Our new electric mower has zero CO emissions.”
Switching to the electric mower is also economically smart for the Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital campus. A battery-powered lawn mower saves money, including the cost of oil, gas, belts, spark plugs and filters. The 1.5-acre campus can now be mowed without the need to “fill up.” The new mower also weighs a lot less than the old gas-powered mower and is easier to move and store.
Another benefit of the electric mower is that it allows for mulching. The mulch is used for landscaping needs at the hospital and clinics.
“The Aspirus Keweenaw Green Team has been working on various sustainability initiatives including landscaping and recycling,” said Mariah Maggio, Patient Experience Coordinator and Green Team Co-Chair. “This is another win for us as we are always looking at ways to reduce our carbon footprint!”
The Aspirus Sustainability Initiative was established in 2018 as a coordinated, strategic effort to identify and implement sustainability initiatives across the Aspirus Health System, serving Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, with the aim of improving the lives of patients and the health of communities.
As a leader in the communities it serves, Aspirus Health is committed to being economically, socially and environmentally responsible.