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As part of an ongoing annual £5 million investment programme in a greener, cleaner collection fleet, waste and recycling specialist, Grundon Waste Management, has unveiled the first two electric vehicles to join its fleet – including one powered directly by electricity generated from the customer waste it collects.
The introduction of the new vehicles are part of Grundon’s commitment to helping businesses achieve net zero.
The first of the vehicles is now operating from Grundon’s Colnbrook base near Slough, serving commercial customers across London and the wider Thames Valley. The waste it collects every day goes directly to Grundon’s Energy from Waste (EfW) facility, creating more than enough electricity to charge the vehicle ready for the next day’s collections.
A second electric waste collection vehicle at Grundon’s Bristol depot is now serving customers across the city, and a third is shortly due to start collections in Reading and Newbury from Grundon’s base at Beenham in Berkshire.
Two more electric vehicles will be based at Colnbrook and Bristol in the coming months, with further electric and alternative fuel vehicles joining the fleet as Grundon prioritises the carbon reduction agenda.
Chairman, Neil Grundon, said: “We know facilities managers are constantly looking for ways to increase carbon savings as they strive towards net zero.
“The fact we can now collect their waste in electric vehicles and turn it into electricity via our Lakeside Energy from Waste facility is a real game-changer and an important milestone towards helping businesses achieve their sustainability targets.
“This is better for our customers, for our drivers and for the planet. We see that as a very powerful message and a tangible demonstration of what can be achieved as we continue to invest further in electrifying our fleet.”
The electric vehicles deliver a range of benefits, including helping to reduce air and noise pollution, as well as delivering a cleaner environment, and are ideally suited for managing collections in areas where Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZ), Clean Air Zones (CAZ) and Zero Emission Zones (ZEZ) have been introduced.
Grundon’s annual £5 million investment programme combines both the conversion of its existing diesel Dennis Eagle Mercedes-Benz Econic waste collection vehicles to electric and the purchase of new Scania electric waste collection vehicles.
As part of its ongoing environmental pledge, Grundon is focusing on building a fleet of mixed alternative fuel vehicles. It already has one ultra-low emission hydrogen diesel dual-fuel waste collection vehicle in operation.
