East Cambridgeshire District Council plans to buy 10 new eco-friendly recycling vehicles which will be converted to run on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO).

HVO generates 90 per cent less carbon than a traditional diesel fuel vehicle helping the Council make significant savings in its bid to become net carbon neutral by 2040.

The Council is expected to agree the £2 million funding needed to buy the vehicles at its Operational Services Committee meeting on 27 March. If approved the new fleet is expected to be on the road early in 2024.

The new vehicles plus the remainder of the collection fleet will also be fitted with in-cab technology to help East Cambs Street Scene (ECSS), which runs the refuse collection on behalf of the Council, deliver a more efficient service for residents.

This will enable ECSS and the Council to record and view real time information relating to the completion of waste collection and delivery rounds. 

Cllr Anna Baily, leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council, said:

“At East Cambridgeshire District Council we are determined our actions reflect the fact we want a cleaner, greener East Cambridgeshire. Our existing fleet of recycling lorries currently accounts for two thirds of the Council’s carbon emissions. So, when they needed to be replaced it made perfect sense to opt for a greener alternative."