In the quiet, picturesque landscapes of the East End, a revolution in lawn care is quietly taking root. Founded by innovators Adam Sloan and Adam Goldwasser, who are passionate about sustainability, Greener aims to transform how homeowners and landscapers maintain their properties. Their company promises a significant reduction in noise and environmental impact. We sat down with the founders to explore their journey, the technology behind their service, and the challenges they’ve faced in introducing robotic mowing to Southampton and East Hampton.
What inspired you to start Greener, and how do you envision your company impacting the East End?
Adam Sloan: It started with the noise. The non-stop noise of large mowing equipment. Having mows at inconvenient times, the inconsistency of when my mow would happen, and the pollution from gas. And we found out we weren’t alone — other homeowners felt this way, too. At Greener, we help landscapers satisfy this demand by making it simple to switch from traditional to robotic mowing. When the landscaper decides to switch to Greener, they immediately reduce their environmental impact by 90 percent for every property onboarded.
Can you explain how Greener’s technology works and how it differs fro traditional lawn care methods in terms of efficiency and environmental impact?
Adam Goldwasser: The majority of time spent on a property for traditional lawn care is for mowing the grass. Using Greener’s technology stack reduces time spent on property by 80 percent. Since traditional methods currently contribute five percent of annual US greenhouse gas emissions, we can make an immediate impact by switching to robotics. Our autonomous mowers use rechargeable batteries, do not have emissions, and consume only $4/month in electricity.
Traditional mowing stresses the grass and removes clippings that hold all the nutrients, requiring excessive use of nitrogen-rich fertilizers, which is harmful to the water supply. Our bots cut each day and drop valuable nitrogen into the soil in the form of micro clippings, reducing the need to over-fertilize. And the noise from traditional methods is about as loud as a New York City subway train. Greener’s equipment is whisper-quiet, providing homeowners and their neighbors’ serenity. Our collective impact is measurable and immediate, reducing these problems today by at least 90 percent.
What challenges have you faced in convincing residents and property managers on the East End to adopt Greener’s sustainable lawn care practices?
AS: Building awareness is our biggest focus. While robotic mower technology has been in existence for decades, it’s just now making its way to the US market in a meaningful way. The opportunity lies in our ability to provide landscapers with an immediately deployable solution without any fuss, which is what we do every day. It is a product differentiator for the landscaper, and it satisfies many needs.
How does the Greener service team identify the best spots for robotic mowers on a property, and what factors do they consider during the setup process?
AG: Our solution works on almost every kind of property. The devices are extremely robust and can tackle the most complex lawns, including hills, obstacles, and pathways. Robotic mowers are small and discreet, and our team seeks out-of-sight, out-of-mind places to tuck away robotic mower base stations so they don’t interfere with a homeowner’s aesthetic.
Can you share more about the services provided by Greener, such as the weekly visits from trained Turf Specialists and the monitoring and maintenance services?
AS: Greener offers a turn-key solution where everything is hands-off for the landscaper and homeowner alike. We assess properties for efficacy, install our robotic mower system, and adjust it as necessary throughout the season and seasons to come. Each week, a member of our team visits every property for quality control as well as keeping an eye out for burgeoning lawn issues that may require the landscaper’s attention to resolve. We document these issues and communicate them to the relevant parties needed to take action as they see fit.
How do Greener’s robotic mowers ensure safety for kids and pets, and what built-in safety features do they include to prevent accidents?
AG: Greener does not manufacture robotic mowers, instead utilizing world-leading, best-in-class equipment. There are over 2 million devices currently in use throughout Europe, and are held to high safety standards. There are sensors that stop the mower when lifted and ultrasonic and vision add-ons that avoid obstacles. Every device also has a stop button that, when pressed, shuts off operation. Pets think of the mowers as being their new friend; and while it is also safe around children, we think it is always best practice to not leave children or pets unattended.
What are some of the key benefits that homeowners and landscapers have reported after switching to Greener’s electric-powered, noise-free lawn care solutions?
AS: As we mentioned in the beginning, noise-free mowing is by far the greatest impact we provide. It’s significant and immediately noticeable. We also reduce the CO2 footprint by 90 percent from traditional methods. And when you mow every day with robotics, your grass is kept tight every day of the week, giving you a fresh-cut feel all the time. Many families report that their children could better make use of the lawn to enjoy and play soccer, among other things, a lot more frequently than when their lawn was maintained traditionally.
Landscapers see immediate benefits in employee throughput. Labor is the scarcest resource in the markets we operate in, and lawn mowing takes the most time and is the lowest-margin work of any landscape service. Replacing traditional mowing with robotic mowing allows landscapers to serve more properties with the same crew and frees up time to focus on their backlog, which increases revenue for their operations.
Can you provide an example of how Greener has helped a property owner better understand and improve the health of their lawn?
AG: Using robotics allows our clients to see impacts every day. Because the lawn is always mown and absorbs the clippings, the result is that our lawns are “greener.” So, when something doesn’t look right, homeowners are often proactive in reporting potential issues. This leads to a quicker response from the landscaper and produces a more consistent season.
We understand that Greener provides a 90% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to traditional lawn care methods. How important is this statistic in promoting the adoption of your services?
AS: Today, this is an important statistic but is not as important in the adoption of noise reduction, which removes machines as loud as an NYC subway in favor of equipment you can’t hear over birds’ chirps. Legislation like Net-zero 2035 is increasing awareness among homeowners and will continue to power our acceptance.
How have East Hampton and Southampton Village governments supported Greener’s initiatives, and what role do you see local government playing in the future of sustainable lawn care?
AS: The mayors of East Hampton and Southampton Village have been fully behind our initiative to increase the adoption of robotic mowers in the area. The villages have already taken important steps in driving sustainability, most notably through regulation against operating gas-powered leaf blowers. They have chosen to institute robotic mower programs within their very own maintenance departments, in partnership with Greener, to further their initiative.
To learn more, visit gogreener.us.
