Grundon unveils electric refuse truck powered by waste

Waste and recycling specialist Grundon Waste Management has just unveiled the first two electric vehicles to join its fleet – including one powered directly by electricity generated from the customer waste it collects.

The first of the all-electric e-One refuse collection vehicles is now operating from Grundon’s Colnbrook near Slough base in Berkshire, serving commercial customers across London and the wider Thames Valley. The waste it collects every day goes directly to Grundon’s Lakeside Energy from Waste (EfW) facility, creating more than enough electricity to charge the vehicle ready for the next day’s collections.
 
A second electric waste collection vehicle at Grundon’s Bristol depot is now serving customers across the city, and a third is shortly due to start collections in Reading and Newbury from Grundon’s base at Beenham, also in Berkshire.
 
Two more electric vehicles will be based at Colnbrook and Bristol in the coming months, with further electric and alternative fuel vehicles joining the fleet as Grundon prioritises its carbon reduction agenda.
 
It is part of an annual £5 million investment programme in a greener, cleaner fleet; part of the company’s commitment to achieving net zero.
 
Chairman, Neil Grundon, said: “We see this innovation as a real game-changer and an important milestone on our ongoing journey towards further helping businesses achieve their sustainability targets.
 
“We are collecting their waste in electric vehicles, turning it into electricity via our Energy from Waste facility and using it to power our vehicles ready for their next collections. It is a perfect example of the circular economy in action and we believe it is the first time any waste company has delivered such an innovative and forward-thinking programme.
 
“This is better for our customers, for our drivers and for the planet. We see that as a very powerful message and a tangible demonstration of what can be achieved as we continue to invest further in electrifying our fleet.”
 
Grundon’s investment combines both the conversion of its existing diesel Dennis Eagle Mercedes-Benz Econic waste collection vehicles to electric and the purchase of new Scania electric waste collection vehicles.
 
For every tonne of non-recyclable waste deposited, the EfW generates around 620kW of power. Given that each all-electric vehicle collects an average of five tonnes of waste per round, it means the EfW is capable of generating 3,100kW of energy per day, per vehicle.
 
With 280kW set aside to recharge each vehicle, this still leaves a further 2,820kW of electricity for export to the National Grid on a daily basis – enough to power an average-sized house for a year.
 
This means, for every day one electric vehicle is on the road, it is powering one house for one year.
 
The ongoing vehicle conversion programme has seen Grundon partner with Refuse Vehicle Solutions (RVS), a leader in the remanufacture of waste vehicles, and Dutch vehicle conversion technology specialist EMOSS.