Is NRG Riverside ready for the roll out of household food waste collections?

The demand for food waste vehicles has reached unprecedented levels in our industry. With April 2026 approaching and manufacturers ramping up production, there simply aren’t enough vehicles to meet everyone’s needs right away. We decided early to make a significant investment by ordering over 70 food waste vehicles to expand our hire fleet ahead of the dedicated food waste collection rollout. The vehicles vary in size, from 7.5 to 26 tonnes, and come from trusted manufacturers like Terberg Orus, Hillend Micro XHD, and Macpac for larger volumes.

What’s important is that our fleet includes both diesel and electric options, reflecting our commitment to supporting sustainable waste management practices. We understand the pressure local authorities and waste operators face during this transition, so having a versatile, reliable fleet ready is key to helping them meet demand efficiently.

From a fleet perspective, what should councils be doing to prepare for the new food waste collections?

Councils need to start planning their fleets well in advance, given the current high demand and limited availability of food waste vehicles. Securing the right vehicles early is crucial because many manufacturers are already sold out through 2026, which could delay service rollouts.

It’s important for councils to assess their local requirements carefully, considering factors like the volume of food waste expected, collection frequency, and the types of vehicles that will work best in their areas.

They should also factor in the benefits of electric vehicles (EVs) where possible, to support environmental goals and future proof their operations. Hiring vehicles through fleet providers like us can offer councils valuable flexibility during this period of uncertainty, enabling them to adjust fleet size as needed without the challenges of long-term investment.

Ultimately, early engagement, clear planning, and flexible vehicle options will be key to a smooth transition to the new food waste collections.

What are the advantages of hire when it comes to adapting to the new food waste requirements?

When it comes to adapting to the new food waste requirements, vehicle hire really offers some big advantages. For one, it’s flexible. Councils can adjust their service as the demand changes, which is really important since the rollout timelines and the amount of waste collected can still shift quite a bit.

Instead of committing to buying vehicles upfront, which is expensive and risky if needs change, flexible hire lets councils scale their fleets up or down more easily. It also helps with budgeting because costs are predictable and spread out over the length of the contract.

Another benefit is that our hire agreements include maintenance and support, which takes a lot of pressure off the operators, keeping the vehicles reliable when things get busy.

What support can NRG offer councils in their journey to net zero?

We’re committed to supporting councils on their journey to net zero, particularly through our electric vehicle solutions. We understand that embracing EVs can feel like a big step. There’s the new technology to get familiar with, concerns about charging infrastructure, and the general shift in how things are done. That’s why we’re dedicated to making this transition as smooth and accessible as possible. One of the ways we’re doing this is by offering short term hire vehicles that can then be extended as long as needed so if the vehicle doesn’t work for the operation, it can easily be returned at the end of the initial hire period. We also provide extensive driver training to truly utilise the vehicles capability and range.

As it’s our flexi hire vehicle, it’s our responsibility to complete the inspections as normal and maintain the truck(s) to an excellent standard throughout its time on hire so you can be guaranteed vehicle uptime.

We’ve already seen the positive impact of EVs on longer-term contract hire too; we’ve got seven fully electric food waste trucks with Basildon Borough Council on a seven year contract hire agreement. Over the contract’s lifetime, this move is expected to save the local authority over 900,000 kg of CO2 emissions. The vehicles are Electra eCargo Micro XHD models, equipped with a 140kWh battery capacity and offering a range of up to 250 km, making them ideal for urban food waste collection.

By working together, we can help councils reduce emissions and move towards more sustainable waste management solutions without compromising on reliability or performance.

This article was originally published in the Summer 2025 issue of LAPV. Sign up here to receive your free copy of future issues.