The future of bin lorries

GB takes a look at three councils' recent action to reduce emissions within the waste management sector by going green with their bin lorries

In 2022, the UK’s waste sector accounted for approximately five per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions. Heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), which refuse trucks are classed as, contributed 20 per cent of all domestic transport CO2 emission in the UK in 2021. The overlap here, in bin lorries, presents a huge opportunity for councils to capitalise on, especially given the phase out of all new ICE HGVs sold in the UK. 

Should the UK wish to be net zero by 2050, every change, however minute, has the potential for huge knock-on impacts, as councils up and down the country are discovering through swapping traditional bin lorries out for more low-carbon technologies. In 2022, for example, Cambridgeshire bin lorries which ran on biofuel rather than diesel cut emissions by 90 per cent.

Some recent initiatives to switch to electric refuse trucks are:

Wiltshire Council

In Wiltshire, the council has invested in a fully electric Refuse Collection Vehicle (eRCV) at the start of this year to trial the performance of the vehicle in real operational settings. This will help assist in the forward planning for Wiltshire’s future waste collection fleet requirements.

This all comes as part of Wiltshire Council’s mission to reach carbon neutrality by 2030, which is embedded into their climate strategy.

The lorry, a Volvo FE Low Entry Cab RCV, will be put to the test at operating depots and assigned to household waste collection rounds, starting in northern regions of the county like Calne and Chippenham before being trialled in Salisbury. The trials will investigate the vehicle’s performance in semi-urban, semi-rural and then mainly rural routes.

Councillor Dominic Muns, cabinet member of waste and environment, said: “This is an exciting collaboration with Volvo Trucks, which has a wealth of experience in the electric vehicle market. The 100 per cent electric RCV contributes to cleaner air as it does not produce exhaust gas. This trial brings us a step closer to achieving our mission to modernise the council’s waste collection fleet to low carbon vehicles and ultimately to reduce carbon emissions.

“This trial will establish what percentage of collection routes could realistically be achieved with an electric vehicle, fully testing the capabilities of eRCVs in Wiltshire. It will play a significant role in determining the future procurement of waste collection vehicles and how they can potentially be utilised across the country.”

Leeds City Council

Over in Leeds, three electric Mercedes-Benz eEconic trucks have joined the council’s bin truck fleet, which collects more than half a million waste and recycling bins per week from households across the area. These new electric trucks will seamlessly join the existing 75-strong fleet. Charging will take place overnight at the Council’s award-winning depot at Newmarket House, so the trucks will be ready for action each morning, six days a week, when staff arrive at 6am.

Each vehicle will provide an estimated saving of 15 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year compared to diesel-power trucks; 45 tonnes overall. They will also encourage better air quality in and around Leeds as well as less disruptive noise levels. A low centre of gravity thanks to batteries positioned across the length of the chassis enables improved driving dynamics. The motors drive through a special transmission with two forward and two reverse gears, allowing the truck to cruise at up to 55mph.

These batteries – all three of them – have a total installed capacity of 336kWh, which are covered by a six-year warranty. They can be recharged from 20 to 80 per cent in 75 minutes, using a 400A 160kW charger.

Leeds is home to the country’s largest free garden waste collection service under a single local authority. In the last 12 months, less than 0.2 per cent of all domestic waste collected in Leeds went to landfill. Mixed dry recyclable waste is sorted before being recycled, including glass as of August. 82 per cent of glass collected is sent for remelt into new bottles and jars within Yorkshire.

Supplied via refuse collection vehicle specialist FAUN Zoeller UK, these vehicles are equipped with 22 m3 Variopress compactor bodies and Rotary 3 bin lifters which are built onto a Mercedez-Benz eEconic 300 chassis. Local dealer Northside Truck and Van has supplied 27-tonne gross weights and 6x2 drivelines, and will also provide ongoing maintenance and technical support.

Chief environmental services officer at Leeds City Council, John Woolmer, said: “Leeds has chosen to be one of the pioneers driving forward the use of electric domestic refuse collection vehicles.

“Our three new fully electric RCVs will be targeted to areas of the city that have the greatest air quality issues and where operating a cleaner, greener and quieter service will have the most impact.”

BCP Council

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council has approved a £20 million spend to replace many of its vehicles with electric alternatives, benefitting the area by reducing emissions.

The second phase of BCP’s Fleet Replacement Scheme will replace its end-of-life vehicles by lower carbon alternatives, with 280 new vehicles expected over the next tree years.

2021 saw phase one introduce seven electric refuse collection lorries and introduced 67 vans from a total of 401 vehicles purchased across the fleet, cutting emissions by 250 tonnes annually. This is the equivalent of driving 1.78 kilometres.

It is estimated that around a quarter of the council’s 600 vehicles will be electric by 2028. Phase two, in aiming towards becoming a carbon neutral local authority by 2030, aims to procure more than 100 vehicles over the next three years.

Councillor Andy Hadley, portfolio holder for climate response, environment and energy at BCP Council, said: “This marks a significant step towards our duty of becoming a carbon neutral local authority by 2030 and ensures better air quality for all residents. 

“Phase two of this scheme will allow the council to build on its successful first phase and will place BCP amongst leading councils in transitioning towards operating a green fleet.

“This new investment ensures we can continue to deliver on our promise of making Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole a better place for everyone.” L