Leeds leads the way with electric bin lorries

The council calculates that each vehicle will generate a saving of 15 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year – 45 tonnes per year in total, compared to diesel-powered trucks – while also bringing improved air quality and lower noise to the communities they serve.

Supplied via refuse collection vehicle specialist FAUN Zoeller UK, the vehicles are equipped with 22 cu m Variopress compactor bodies and Rotary 3 bin lifters. These are built onto Mercedes-Benz eEconic 300 chassis, with 27-tonne gross weights and 6x2 drivelines, supplied by local dealer Northside Truck & Van, which will also provide ongoing maintenance and technical support.

Leeds City Council collects over half a million waste and recycling bins per week from households across its area, sending out 75 trucks and crews on six days every week and running the country’s largest free garden waste collection service under a single local authority.

Chief environmental services officer 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 RCV’s 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.”

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