New electric vehicles helping keep Swale clean
Two new electric waste vehicles have joined the Swale
Borough Council fleet, boosting street cleaning and fly-tipping removal efforts
while significantly reducing carbon emissions.
The two caged Fiat eDucato eTecnicos are now in service,
assisting street cleaners, helping empty public litter bins and removing
fly-tipping.
These additions compliment the council’s existing fleet of
state-of-the-art waste vehicles introduced at the start of the new waste
contract with SUEZ in March 2024.
Charging the electric vehicles is considerably cheaper than
diesel fuel, projecting significant savings over the remaining seven years of
the contract.
With an impressive 230-mile range on a single charge, the
vehicles are expected to reduce carbon emissions by 16 tonnes of CO2 compared
to their diesel counterparts, contributing to cleaner air within the borough.
These new vehicles join 24 recycling and waste lorries that
feature electric lifts and dedicated food waste storage, along with three
street sweepers already in operation.
Cllr Rich Lehmann, chair of the Environment and Climate
Change Committee, said:
“These new electric vehicles are
already making a difference, helping us to keep our streets clean, tackling
litter and fly-tipping, and improving the reliability of our service.
“The financial and carbon savings
made electric vehicles the obvious choice, and we’re proud to be taking these
steps towards carbon neutrality while also achieving long-term cost savings.
“While we’re working to improve
reliability, the new waste service has unfortunately seen unacceptable levels
of contamination in our recycling. This includes food waste, black sacks,
sanitary products, electronics, and textiles.
“Every piece of recycling has
value, and the more we recycle correctly, the more sustainable our service
becomes. This reduces costs and the amount of waste sent for incineration,
which is better for the planet.
“It’s vital that residents
understand how to use their bins correctly and what items go where, whether
that’s recycling or using the food waste caddy.
“If we work together as a
borough, we can make a real difference and, collectively, we can save tens of
thousands of pounds. ”