A new fleet of new environmentally-friendly, mechanised street cleansing machines has been bought by Barnet Council.
Seven bright orange Glutton machines will be located in Barnet's town centres, with an eighth machine used for targeting hotspot areas across the area.
The Glutton is an alternative to ride-on street cleaners and powered barrows. Its vacuum sucks up waste through a 12.5cm diameter tube, including paper, cardboard, cigarettes packets and butts, cans and glass, plastic and metal bottles, dog faeces, dead leaves and waste trapped in tree grills.
Councillor Dean Cohen, chairman of Barnet Council's Environment Committee, said: 'Our residents expect our streets to be cleansed and maintained to excellent standards and this new equipment will help us achieve this.
'The Glutton machines will make it quicker for our teams to clean large areas, with the street vacuums able to clear smaller pieces of litter much better. The machines are also electric, environmentally friendly and can operate quietly without causing noise pollution'
100% battery powered, the Glutton provides 12 hours of operation between charges. The smaller, quieter machines can be used during busy periods without causing a major obstruction or creating any disturbance or air pollution for residents, businesses and shoppers.
The operator simply uses one hand to steer the self-propelled machine, while the other controls the vacuum that is attached to a wander hose. It weighs substantially less than a conventional powered barrow used for street waste collection and is just 0.75m wide, making it easier to handle.
An integrated battery charger enables recharging from any mains electricity supply, allowing it to be charged without going back to the depot. Furthermore, as an all-electric machine, it requires less maintenance and fewer replacement parts.
Barnet Council will use the machines in town centres from 11am-7pm daily. The fleet is part of the council's £600,000 investment in new-generation equipment.
Barnet Council purchased the fleet from the Glutton's authorised UK distributor, ePower Trucks. based in Oldham, Greater Manchester.
