Husquvarna: Cleaner, greener lawn and garden equipment

According to research conducted for the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), running a lawnmower for only an hour emits as much pollution as driving a car 50 to 60 miles.

One company that decided to put the "green" back into lawn and garden equipment is Swedish manufacturer Husqvarna. They partnered with BASF to develop a catalytic system that would dramatically reduce harmful emissions.

The challenges were great:

1. Two-stroke engines operate at very high temperatures
2. Space is tight as they are very small
3. Costs had to be kept to a minimum so as not to cause a competitive disadvantage for Husqvarna's other products.

The BASF team came up with a truly innovative idea: they would design a special catalyst that could be applied directly onto the interior of noise-reduction mufflers already used on the lawn and garden equipment.  Engineers from Husqvarna and BASF worked together to put this idea to the test.  

It passed brilliantly.  The catalytic muffler for small engine emissions cut hydrocarbon and NOx emissions in half and nearly eliminated visible smoke and odor, all for less than $4.00 per unit.  Needless to say, BASF’s smart thinking and teamwork resulted in a tremendous success – not only for the Husqvarna, but also for the environment.