Buckinghamshire Council to up-cycle and electrify its refuse fleet

Buckinghamshire Council will begin up-cycling and electrifying its refuse fleet with clean-tech company Lunaz.

The first 26-tonne refuse vehicle will be converted from its existing diesel power to electric, with delivery to be made in the autumn. The work is being funded with a grant from DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs).

All Lunaz vehicles are completely stripped down and all components inspected, up-cycled and replaced as required. This includes the removal of the current diesel engine and replacing it with a fully electric drivetrain. The cab, driver functions and bin-lift equipment will also be fully refurbished and upgraded to latest technological and safety standards.

Gareth Williams, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment said: “This is a very exciting moment for Buckinghamshire Council and a big milestone in our journey to cutting our carbon emissions and meeting our climate change strategy ambitions.

“It marks the first step in our desire to run a more sustainable fleet of vehicles by using a renewable energy source and has multiple additional benefits including improving air quality and saving money both in terms of cheaper everyday running costs, and the retention of more than 80% of the embedded carbon versus scrapping an existing vehicle and replacing with new. In this regard, our partnership with Lunaz represents the best possible outcome for both the planet and the taxpayer. It also reflects our commitment as a council, to supporting local business and employment in the area.”

This announcement follows the signing in April 2023 of a seven-year fleet electrification programme between waste management Biffa and Lunaz confirming a commitment to allocating a significant proportion of its 1,110 vehicle per year production capacity.

Every up-cycled electric vehicle produced by Lunaz saves 82% of the embedded carbon within that vehicle. For context, at full capacity, Lunaz’ factory in Silverstone, UK, will save the equivalent weight of the Eiffel Tower every year in embedded carbon by upcycling rather than scrapping existing fleet vehicles.

Furthermore, Lunaz stands alone in subtracting a polluting vehicle from the global car park with every vehicle it electrifies. This is through its ‘1 for 1’ policy that ensures the decommissioning of every fossil fuel engine before recycling its components. This practice ensures existing polluting engines are completely eradicated and replaced with clean-air equivalents.

^{Image shows Buckinghamshire Council's Gareth Williams and Lunaz founder David Lorenz.}