In a statement yesterday, the council explained that the move will involve the replacement of its current refuse vehicles and will be the local authority’s ‘biggest carbon-cutting project’ yet.

To achieve its goal of reducing carbon emissions by 80% within the next four years, the council has confirmed plans to introduce Hydro-treated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuel to power its fleet, as well as the addition of its first electric vehicle.

The council’s 31-asset waste fleet constitutes almost half of its carbon footprint and is nearing the end of its operational life.

According to the local authority, the replacement will ensure recycling services are ‘more dependable’, while supporting its environmental targets and delivering ‘value for money against a background of Local Government Reorganisation’.

David Stanley, Deputy Chief Executive and Section 151 Officer at Cotswold District Council, said: ‘Our priority is to make sure we maintain a robust, reliable recycling service for residents. Replacing the fleet now ensures we avoid rising maintenance costs and reliability issues that could disrupt collections.

‘At the same time, these changes allow us to make significant progress toward our carbon reduction goals.’

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