Australia’s long-standing do-it-yourself culture is increasingly being reshaped by concerns over waste, emissions and the rising cost of replacing household equipment, prompting greater interest in electric tools, repair cafes and community-run tool libraries.For many Australians, weekend trips to hardware stores remain a routine part of home and garden maintenance.

Survey data shows about 57% of Australians consider themselves willing to undertake repairs and improvements around the house and garden. But environmental advocates and repair networks say the traditional DIY model, particularly one reliant on petrol-powered equipment and infrequently used new tools, carries significant environmental and financial costs.

Australia imports more than one million outdoor power tools annually, including lawnmowers, leaf blowers, hedge trimmers, chainsaws, chippers and pressure washers. Many of these are powered by two-stroke or four-stroke petrol engines, which generate noise, greenhouse gas emissions and exhaust pollutants including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and fine particulate matter.

According to the California Air Resources Board, operating a commercial leaf blower for one hour produces a similar level of air pollutants as driving a car for about 1,700 kilometres, roughly the distance between Melbourne and Brisbane.

One hour of lawn mowing produces emissions comparable to driving about 480 kilometres.Research has also shown that on summer weekends in Australia, small non-road engines, largely from lawn mowing and recreational boating, contribute up to 20% of certain forms of air pollution, including carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds.

In California, these engines overtook passenger vehicles as the largest source of smog-forming pollution in 2020.Harry Barber, a transport consultant and volunteer with Electrify Yarra, said battery-electric alternatives are now available for nearly all common household garden tools, reducing the need for petrol-powered equipment.“Whether it’s a mower, or a blower, or a whipper-snipper, or a chainsaw. Whatever you need, it can all be electric,” Barber said.

He said transitioning to electric tools is significantly more affordable for most households than replacing a petrol vehicle with an electric car. Many manufacturers also design batteries that work across multiple tools, reducing both cost and material use.Barber said electric tools offer additional benefits beyond emissions reduction.

They are quieter, require less maintenance and eliminate the burnt oil smell associated with two-stroke engines. Although Australia banned the sale of two-stroke tools in 2020 due to pollution concerns, many households continue to use older equipment already in circulation.

In the United States, dozens of cities have banned the sale of petrol-powered leaf blowers or introduced financial incentives to encourage households and landscaping businesses to adopt electric alternatives.Alongside the shift toward electric equipment, another movement is growing across Australian cities: borrowing instead of buying.

Tool libraries, where residents pay a membership fee to borrow tools rather than purchase them, are expanding as communities seek to reduce overconsumption and make expensive equipment more accessible.