Each weekend, 54 million Americans get up early on their day off and roll the trusty, old mower out of the garage to mow some 20 million acres of lawn. From mowing to watering to fertilizing, lawns consume an immense amount of resources and are responsible for an equally offensive amount of pollution.

Lawn care is a big business, totaling some $25 billion each year in the United States alone. But beyond the cost of the materials and equipment, you can’t talk about lawns without mentioning their environmental cost.

Anyone who has ever used a lawn mower will attest to the fact that lawnmower engines are not very efficient. They emit high levels of carbon monoxide, producing up to 5% of the nation’s air pollution. A conventional lawn mower pollutes as much in an hour as driving your car for 100 miles. In an effort to keep the lawn looking good, Americans use 800 million gallons of gas per year, producing tons of air pollutants.

Switching to a push-type mower instead of a power mower will help reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by 80 pounds per lawn per year.

Perhaps more surprising than the gas used, is the gas misused. According to the EPA, 17 million gallons of gasoline are spilled each year while refueling lawn equipment. To put that into perspective, that’s more than all the oil spilled by the Exxon Valdez in Alaska in 1989. The lawn clippings generate over 160 million tons of solid waste annually. The second largest component of Americans’ solid waste is yard waste.

Tip: Ironically, most grass is not supposed to be cut as short as most people cut it. A short, well-manicured lawn doesn’t shade the soil and increases the need for water. Tall grass can have a much deeper root system than short grass, resulting in less need for watering.

Grasscycling is leaving the clippings on the lawn after mowing, so they decompose and release their nutrients into the soil. Not only is grasscycling less work for you, but if you do it, you’ll see a positive difference in the growth of the lawn, too.

Although a hand-powered mower reduces pollution, and grasscycling cuts down on yard waste, you may be asking, “Why plant something that needs cutting at all?” Ecoturf (or eco-lawn or native meadow) is a variety of meadow grasses selected to reduce these typical needs of mowing, watering, and fertilizing. A dense mix of English daisy, yarrow, strawberry clover, or perennial ryegrass, Ecoturf only grows to a certain height and will not need frequent mowing. The addition of clover in this mix provides valuable soil-fixing nitrogen, helping eliminate the need for fertilizer. Because it’s so hardy, Ecoturf only requires regular watering during the hot summer months. Ecoturf needs to be seeded and will take a year or two to fully take root. During this initial period, just water it regularly, as you would a regular lawn.

Be sure to consult a landscape architect to select species appropriate and native to your area.