Winchester waste fleet switches to greener fuel
Bin collections in Winchester are now greener, thanks to the vehicles being fuelled by Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) instead of diesel.
All 20 BIFFA-operated waste and recycling vehicles, which collect from residents across the whole district, have made the switch.
It is estimated that switching to HVO fuel will reduce carbon emissions by at least 80%, a saving of over 600 tonnes of carbon every year.
Care and attention has been taken to ensure that the supply of HVO is fully validated with an auditable supply chain, manufactured only from primary waste sources and not causing deforestation and environmental damage. Only suppliers who meet the requirements of the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) and the Zemo Partnership Renewable Fuels Assurance Scheme (RFAS) will be used.
This change for waste vehicles means the service joins Winchester City Council’s Park and Ride, operated by Stagecoach, as a service run on HVO fuel. This fuel choice makes the Park & Ride a great option for travelling into the city, lowering carbon emissions, and helping to improve air quality.
Cllr Kelsie Learney, Cabinet Member for the Climate Emergency at Winchester City Council, said: “Reducing transport emissions is one of our priorities in helping us become a carbon neutral district. HVO reduces the city council’s carbon emissions significantly and allows us to be greener faster. It’s a big step towards carbon zero before improvements to the local electric infrastructure allow us to power a full electric fleet.”
Anthony Holley, Biffa’s Fleet & Facilities Director, said: “The successful adoption of HVO at Winchester means we continue to grow our net zero fleet as part of wider plans to decarbonise our operations. By next year, our target is for 10% of our vehicles to be alternatively fuelled, and our ambition by 2030 is that we will stop buying fossil fuel vehicles altogether.”