It is the waste management team’s largest electric vehicle to date
Hull City Council’s first fully-electric food waste collection vehicle has been unveiled. The authority’s waste management team is now operating its largest electric vehicle to date – a new 12.5-tonne electric truck dedicated to food waste collection.
This new addition to the fleet will support the rollout of the government’s Simpler Recycling initiative, which includes weekly food and garden waste collections that will be locally composted for use in horticulture and agriculture. With a growing fleet of more than 60 zero-emission battery electric vehicles (BEVs) – encompassing cars, vans, and now a lorry – Hull City Council operates one of the largest electric fleets in the region.
In the past, these vehicles would have been powered by diesel engines, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and poor air quality. Now, as part of a phased replacement programme, the council is retiring older vehicles and replacing them with fully-electric alternatives.
This latest investment marks a significant milestone in the authority’s aim to achieve net zero emissions by 2045.
Fleet vehicles are currently the council’s second-largest source of carbon emissions, so transitioning to electric vehicles plays a major role in reducing its overall carbon footprint, as well as improving air quality. In addition to being environmentally friendly, electric vehicles are quieter, more efficient, and easier to maintain.
Councillor Mark Ieronimo, cabinet portfolio holder for transport and infrastructure at Hull City Council, said: “Introducing our first fully electric food waste vehicle is another big step forward in our journey to tackle climate change. We’re proud to be leading the way in Hull, with one of the largest electric fleets in the region.
“Every vehicle we add helps reduce carbon emissions, creating a more sustainable transport fleet.”
Councillor Charles Quinn, portfolio holder for environment, said: “By using an electric vehicle to collect waste, we can create a more sustainable Hull, not just for today, but for future generations. We’re proud to be making these changes. Every electric vehicle we add to our fleet is a step towards improving the air we breathe and reducing our impact on the planet.”
Last week, the council announced it was created 70 new waste management jobs. The city’s Streetscene Services are advertising the roles ahead of the national rollout of Simpler Recycling in March next year.
This will see all local authorities required to collect core recyclables from every household, including weekly food waste collections. As this will result in an increased demand, Hull City Council is expanding the waste team to meet this and improve service delivery.
The 70 new vacancies in waste management include 60 loader positions and ten driver chargehand roles. The salaries range between £25,583 and £32,061 with a waste operations team leader being offered up to £35,412.