New waste and recycling trucks drive change
Twenty-two new state-of-the-art waste and recycling trucks will hit the streets of Moreland next month, making sure the new waste and recycling program is off to a good start.
Branded with vibrant messages and eye-catching designs, the trucks incorporate cutting-edge technology that Director City Infrastructure Nerina Di Lorenzo says will set a new benchmark in municipal waste management.
“Each truck is fitted with a GPS unit, assisting drivers to report damaged bins, contaminated or overfilled bins or customer requests back to Council instantly, and ensuring all requests are dealt with correctly and in a timely manner,” says Ms Di Lorenzo.
“The new recycling trucks represent great change in Moreland. All the new trucks meet Euro 5 engine standards, which will increase fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
They will be working hard to pick up many new items to recycle, helping keep the costs of waste management to a minimum.”
One of the new trucks will also be fitted with a special fuel-saving system as part of a trial with innovative Australian design company, Permo-Drive Technologies.
A hydraulic regenerative drive system (RDS) captures energy when the vehicle brakes, and then reuses this energy to accelerate the vehicle. This not only saves fuel and greenhouse gas emissions, but also reduces wear and tear on the braking system.
If this trial proves successful, Council will consider installing the RDS system in all its waste trucks.
“Our waste trucks constantly stop and start, meaning they could significantly benefit from this technology,” Ms Di Lorenzo says.
“This system has the potential to save Council about $85,000 in fuel annually based on today’s fuel prices, a welcome saving considering waste collection is a major contributor to Council’s ongoing operational costs.”
Keep an eye out for Moreland’s colourful new trucks picking up bins in a street near you.
