Portfolio holder for assets, commissioning and waste Cllr Noel Hadjimichael described the procurement as ‘a huge milestone for climate action in Kingston.’
Rollout begins this month, with 27 electric vehicles gradually replacing diesel models to provide quieter collection services with reduced nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter emissions.
The current diesel vehicles are split to allow for simultaneous food waste and mixed recycling collections, which the council said had caused contamination, so it is hoped assigning the new trucks to single material collections will improve the quality of recycling in Kingston.
General Manager of Veolia South London, Scott Edgell, said: ‘We’re excited to see our partnership with Kingston Council result in a better service for residents, along with reduced air and noise pollution thanks to the introduction of our new electric fleet of recycling and waste collection vehicles.’
