Hart District Council new low carbon bin collections

Hart District Council will take a positive step towards their carbon neutrality goals when most of its kerbside waste and recycling trucks swap diesel for a low-carbon biofuel next month.

With carbon emissions up to 98% lower than diesel according to government conversion figures, the move to hydrogenated vegetable oil will make the district’s air cleaner and the Council’s waste and recycling collections more environmentally friendly. It is estimated this change will cut over 500 tonnes of emissions from the current carbon footprint.

Following a successful trial, this rollout is an important milestone in the Council’s work to tackle the climate emergency by becoming a carbon-neutral authority by 2035 and district by 2040. Waste and recycling is a key service, with the waste and recycling trucks covering the whole district, emptying approximately 70,000 bins each week.

Alongside this swap to biofuel, Serco, which runs local waste and recycling services on behalf of the Council, has also started trialling a zero-emission electric bin truck for its kerbside collections in the district.

Covering parts of Hart during a six-week pilot scheme, the zero-emission bin truck, supplied by VEV and RVS, was powered by diesel prior to being refurbished and recycled into a more environmentally friendly vehicle. Refurbishing an existing bin truck results in a lower manufacturing carbon footprint compared to building a new electric vehicle from scratch.

The trial will provide important information in the Council’s drive to continue reducing its impact on the environment in support of its climate emergency declared in April 2021.

Councillor Richard Quarterman, Portfolio Holder for Climate Change and Corporate Services said: “I am delighted we have been able to deliver this significant positive step for carbon reduction in one of our key services.

“Finding ways to reduce carbon emissions across all our services is central to our activities and we are determined to push forward with actions that will help us achieve our goal of becoming a carbon-neutral council by 2035. The trial of a zero-emission electric bin truck offers an option to explore the viability of these vehicles in the future.”

More information about the Council’s action on climate change is at www.hart.gov.uk/environment/climate-change.