The Electric Leaf Blower Initiative

In 2025, the Parks and Public Works departments continued expanding their electric landscaping fleets. New purchases included electric leaf blowers, chainsaws, hedge shears, and line trimmers, supporting the City’s transition away from gas-powered tools.

Electric equipment the City owns that staff can select from to perform their work:

• 6 chain saws (mix of Stihl and Husqvarna)
• 2 pole saws (one Stihl and one Husqvarna)
• 8 line trimmers (all Stihl)
• 4 hedge trimmers (all Stihl)
• 3 edgers (all Stihl)
• 1 Stihl handheld blower
• 5 Milwaukee handheld blowers
• 3 Milwaukee backpack blowers
• 1 Toro backpack blower
• 1 Makita backpack blower
• 1 Husqvarna backpack blower
• 3 Stihl backpack blowers
• 1 Ryobi backpack blower
• 1 Greenworks backpack blower
• 1 Ego backpack blower

The City hosted multiple public demonstration events in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Community members had the opportunity to try out electric leaf blowers, speak with Parks staff, and discuss benefits and concerns.

In 2025, Parks staff actively tested nearly every new electric landscaping tool available on the market. These demonstrations help staff evaluate performance and durability in real-world, large-scale conditions.

Our Parks Department continues to schedule equipment demonstrations and field tests, with many vendors leaving tools for extended staff use. These efforts help ensure the City selects the most effective tools for an electric transition.

A volunteer-led pilot project at Cotton Hill Park pathway is maintaining a trail using only electric tools. The City is also evaluating the feasibility of an "all-electric park," managing a fully electric and hand-maintained park through City operations.

Update: Trade-in voucher exchanges are currently closed. We are no longer accepting gas-powered leaf blowers for trade-in at this time.

Program Overview:

In 2024, the City of Kirkland hosted two successful Gas-Powered Leaf Blower Trade-In Events as part of its initiative to phase out gas-powered landscaping equipment and promote cleaner, quieter alternatives.

Event Dates:

• May 4, 2024 – North Kirkland Community Center
• September 28, 2024 –North Kirkland Community Center

At these events, Kirkland residents were invited to trade in their gas-powered leaf blowers in exchange for a $100 voucher redeemable at participating local retailers toward the purchase of a new electric leaf blower.

Vouchers were redeemable at select local stores:

• Pacific Nail and Staple – 11332 120th Ave NE, Kirkland, WA 98033
• Westlake Ace Hardware – 6613 132nd Ave NE, Kirkland, WA 98033
• Fred Meyer Kirkland – 12221 120th Ave NE, Kirkland, WA 98034

Why Make the Switch:

• Reduce harmful emissions and noxious fumes
• Promote quieter, healthier neighborhoods
• Support environmental sustainability

Eligibility & Process:

Participants were required to:

1. Drain oil and gas from their leaf blowers prior to drop-off
2. Provide proof of Kirkland residency

Vouchers were distributed on a first-come, first-served basis and intended for residential users. While commercial landscaping businesses were not eligible for vouchers, they were welcome to drop off equipment for disposal.

Hazardous Waste Disposal Reminder: 

If you live in King County, you can take your oil and gas to any of the collection sites below and there is no fee to drop off your household hazardous waste at a collection site.

Hazardous Waste Collection Sites:

• North Seattle Household Hazardous Waste Facility: Sunday – Tuesday
• Factoria Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Service: Tuesday – Friday, Saturday and Sunday
• South Seattle Household Hazardous Waste Facility: Thursday – Saturday
• Auburn Wastemobile: Saturday – Sunday
• Traveling Wastemobile: Seasonal February – October  

Visit kingcountyhazwastewa.gov for more information. 

The City of Kirkland partnered with Representative Walen to host an equipment demonstration and roundtable discussion for state and local legislators, as well as the City's Parks and Public Works departments. The goal of this event was to share information and expertise as potential bills and resolutions are developed regarding electric leaf blowers. The agenda for the event, as well as the five handouts used during the roundtable, are linked below.

12192024_Agenda.pdf(PDF, 49KB)

Handout-ELBI-Discussion-Document.pdf(PDF, 209KB)

Handout-Feedback-Summary.pdf(PDF, 104KB)

Handout-Replacement-Scenarios.pdf(PDF, 211KB)

Handout-What-is-California-Doing.pdf(PDF, 216KB)

Handout-What-is-Kirkland-Doing.pdf(PDF, 186KB)

Click here to view form.

Have you ever wanted to try out an electric leaf blower? How about an electric lawn mower or string trimmer?

The City of Kirkland intends to partner with the Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association (WSNLA) to bring equipment manufacturers, local landscape businesses, and others who are interested together to learn more about electric landscape equipment. 

An event will be planned for 2026. More details coming soon.

This event will feature:  

What is the City doing about leaf blowers?

Research shows that the emissions from operating gas-powered leaf blowers produce negative environmental impacts in addition to adverse health impacts on operators. The City of Kirkland is exploring the implementation of an electric leaf blower initiative to transition all hand-held and backpack gas powered leaf blowers within the City to electric. 

When are electric leaf blowers being banned?

The Electric Leaf Blower Initiative Resolution R-5585 set a target date to sunset the use of gas-powered handheld and backpack leaf blowers in Kirkland of December 31st, 2025. The Resolution also states that “[t]he City Manager may propose changes to these milestones based on new information, learnings, and opportunities.” A new Resolution will be brought forward to the Kirkland City Council for consideration in December of 2025 to extend the Initiative timeline and provide more time to explore how the City would sunset gas-powered handheld and backpack leaf blowers in Kirkland. 

Why ban gas-powered leaf blowers but not other gas-powered equipment?

Reducing or eliminating gas-powered landscaping equipment for City operations is identified as action SG-1.10 and further supported by actions ES-1.1 and ES-1.2 in the City’s Sustainability Master Plan (SMP). These actions, combined with the high volume of leaf blower noise complaints received since 2020, is why the City is focusing this initiative on leaf blowers. As part of the City’s internal pilot of electric leaf blowing equipment, the City is also acquiring and exploring the use of other electric landscaping equipment. Further, and in accordance with other actions identified in the City’s SMP, the City is actively electrifying the City’s fleet of vehicles and deploying initiatives to support homeowners transition from natural gas to electric heating sources through the Energy Smart Eastside Heat Pump Program.

What is the City doing about noise pollution?

Since 2020, the City has received a high volume of noise complaints about leaf blowers. Responding to these complaints was a key factor prompting the exploration of an electric leaf blower transition. While initial research shows that current electric leaf blower models produce similar noise levels to gas powered leaf blowers, electric motors have more potential to reduce noise pollution and electric leaf blower technology is anticipated to improve in the coming years. 

What does this mean for the community?

This initiative will reduce emissions in Kirkland and protect the health of community members. To support resident’s transition to electric leaf blowers, the city will employ a financial incentive program to encourage adoption of electric equipment and to support community members that may experience economic constraints in making the transition. 

How will the ban affect local landscaping businesses?

This initiative will impact landscaping businesses who are often small operations owned by culturally diverse members of the community and who are also disproportionately exposed to emissions at a higher rate than other community members. In 2023 the City Manager hosted a focus group with Kirkland landscaping businesses to learn what impacts a transition to all electric equipment would have and how to work together to make this initiative a success. To reduce the burden on these businesses, the City plans to provide financial incentives to support their transition to commercial-grade electric equipment. 

What resources does the City have?

The Kirkland City Council included $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act Funds in the adopted 2023-2024 budget to support the transition of the City's equipment to all electric leaf blowers and incentives for private sector and resident conversion. 

What stage is the City’s pilot program in?

The City’s pilot program is to evaluate, develop, and begin implementing a transition plan for the City's equipment with the goal of making data informed recommendations. Currently, the city is working with the Parks and Public Works departments to test purchased electric leaf blowers and to collect data on crew’s gas and electric leaf blower usage throughout the summer, fall, winter, and spring seasons. The City is also currently performing cost analyses to estimate the current and projected expenses of the transition. A new Resolution will be brought forward to the Kirkland City Council for consideration in December of 2025 to extend the Initiative timeline and provide more time to explore how the City would sunset gas-powered handheld and backpack leaf blowers in Kirkland.

What leaf blower related equipment is the City testing as part of their pilot?

The City is currently piloting handheld leaf blower equipment from Milwaukee and Stihl as well backpack leaf blower equipment from Milwaukee, Stihl, Ego, Greenworks, Husqvarna (550i BTX), Makita (CBU02), Ryobi (40v HP Whisper), and Toro.