Veolia and Hammersmith & Fulham Council are cutting emissions on their waste management fleet with the arrival of e-cargo bikes and electric vans.

The new electric vehicles will make collections and street cleaning cleaner, greener and quieter

The fleet now features 20 electric vehicles that include eight cargo bikes, eight electric vans and three street cleansing cage vehicles, as well as one electric refuse collection vehicle, which will be used for the new garden waste collection service.

The new electric vehicles will make collections and street cleaning cleaner, greener and quieter for residents in the borough.

The fleet will improve air quality in the borough by reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and particulate matter (PM) emissions, supporting Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s plans to become the country’s greenest borough.

The e-cargo bikes will improve service efficiencies as they are able to reach narrower routes such as the Thames Pathway, aiding the team to empty public litter bins and collect fly-tipped waste across the borough.

The introduction of these electric vehicles is the latest development in Veolia’s work to support Hammersmith & Fulham to become a greener borough. Since the firms signed a new waste and recycling contract in 2022, food waste services have been introduced for the first time to more than 50,000 households alongside the delivery of wheeled bins for recycling and waste to 16,000 kerbside properties. A new paid garden waste collection service has now also been introduced for residents in the borough.

Councillor Sharon Holder, Hammersmith & Fulham cabinet member for public realm, said: “Our waste team continues to ensure H&F’s parks and streets are safe and clean for residents, visitors and local wildlife. The new vehicles will help us go one step further as the waste team will now also be helping to reduce air pollution while they work.”

Scott Edgell, general manager for Veolia South London, added: “We’re proud to be leading the way for innovative and sustainable operations.”