WM Waste Management has introduced the first of three new fully electric waste disposal trucks as part of a new waste contract in Melbourne.

The rollout is in partnership with the City of Casey and SEA Electric, with the first several electric truck now on the road and collecting hard waste in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs. Two more are expected to follow in the coming weeks.

The trucks are powered solely by battery power and have a charge of up to five hours before needing to be recharged.

WM managing director Mark Jeffs said that it was vital that essential services lead the way in going carbon neutral.

“Electric trucks are a key demonstration of our support for renewable energy as they significantly reduce our environmental footprint and improve the sustainability of residential hard waste collection.”

City of Casey Mayor Amanda Stapledon said; “this is a terrific breakthrough in technology that will mean locals have a more sustainable hard waste collection with less noise, making their streets more liveable.”

WM’s electric trucks are the first of its kind to be manufactured and designed in Australia.

WM is understood to have been one of the first hard waste business in Australia to use hybrid waste trucks in 2008.

Superior Pak has designed and constructed the body of the trucks, and the electric propulsion system and internal works have been designed and fitted out by SEA Electric locally in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

Each electric truckload of waste will save approximately 180 kg of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere when operational as compared with an equivalent diesel truck.

The next phase of electric trucks to by WM Waste are currently in their trial period, and are expected to be operating throughout the City of Casey in the coming months.

Comment below to have your say on this story.

If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at info@3.106.117.80. 

Sign up to INCLEAN’s newsletter.