Waste management firm Veolia’s vehicle fleet is set to include two fully-electric bin lorries, which will be charged with power derived from waste collected by the company.

The project will see two of Veolia’s end-of-life refuse collection vehicles (RCVs) retrofitted with batteries and electric motors, converting them from diesel to electric power.

The RCVs will initially be charged with grid electricity, but the company will then begin using energy generated from non-recyclable household waste – a move claimed to be first of its kind in the waste management sector.

The 26-tonne RCVs will be based in Sheffield and charged with power generated at the city’s Energy Recovery Facility (ERF), where 28 tonnes of non-recyclable household waste is incinerated every hour.

Veolia is also using electric vans to carry out its waste management contracts with two NHS hospital trusts in Liverpool and Southport. The vehicles are recharged using low-carbon electricity generated at the company’s combined heat and power (CHP) plants.

What a great idea!