Greenstar - Green Vehicles
Recycling-led waste management specialist Greenstar UK, and its Verdant municipal services subsidiary, are conducting several ‘green’ vehicle trials that should help reduce their carbon impact.
Across its UK operations, Greenstar operates nearly 600 vehicles, the majority deployed by Verdant for the recycling, refuse and cleansing contracts it services for 24 local authorities. Vehicles range from 1.5 tonne panel vans to 32 tonne Refuse / Recycling Collection Vehicles (RCVs).
Greenstar group fleet engineer Ian Coxhill says the trials are in the interest of Greenstar, its customers and the global environment. “With such a large fleet, any vehicle operating efficiencies we can make will directly and positively contribute to reducing our operational costs as well as our carbon footprint, and therefore that of the nation.”
Greenstar is about to take delivery of a 6.5 tonne Iveco Daily vehicle which has been adapted to run on bio-methane fuel. Bio-methane comes from anaerobic digestion where organic matter is broken down by micro-organisms naturally in the absence of oxygen. The gas produced during this process is known as biogas, mainly comprising carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) in a rough 35% / 65% mix.
In the two month trial, the test vehicle will operate from Greenstar’s waste transfer station at its large Atlas site in north London, collecting commercial recyclables from inner London customers. It is hoped that the trial will show a 30% cut in fuel costs and a reduction of 60% or more in emissions.
Verdant is trialling biodiesel with its 26 tonne RCVs working on its Arun contract in West Sussex. Two vehicles are running on bio-diesel known as GD100, which comes from a process using reclaimed vegetable / cooking oil. This form of biodiesel produces no SO2 (sulphur dioxide), no net CO2 (carbon dioxide), has up to 20 times less CO (carbon monoxide), reduces soot emissions by between 40% and 60%, and also reduces carcinogens (polycyclic hydrocarbons).
The trial will run for at least six months, and possibly up to 12, so that substantial data is captured for in-depth analysis. Coxhill expects an increase in fuel efficiency and a reduction in carbon emissions, whilst the combustion of the fuel itself is carbon-neutral.
Verdant is also testing the Eco Drive Assistant efficiency system on 26 tonne RCVs that service its Central Bedfordshire and Isle of Anglesey contracts. The system monitors engine speeds to maximise fuel efficiency and so reduces costs and emissions.