Electric refuse trucks could soon be coming to pick up your weekly trash

Feb 27, 2023

This article is published in collaboration with Green Matters

A waste management company is partnering with a truck manufacturer to create America's first fleet of fully integrated electric garbage trucks. Image: Unsplash/zydeaosika

Lizzy Rosenberg

Associate editor, Distractify

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A waste management company is partnering with a truck manufacturer to create America's first fleet of fully integrated electric garbage trucks.
They will initially be rolled out in Phoenix, Arizona in autumn 2023, with plans to expand to other cities such as Santa Ana, Carlsbad and Portland in 2024.
Within the next five years, the company aims to have 50% of its 17,000 vehicles running on clean, renewable energy, Green Matters reports.

A Phoenix, Ariz.-based waste management company, which is widely regarded for its eco-friendly practices is taking things a step further. Republic Services is planning to unleash the first-ever fleet of electric garbage trucks.

On Monday, Feb. 20, the company announced its plan to partner with Oshkosh Corporation, a truck manufacturer that produces a wide range of specialty vehicles. If all goes well, an EV could be coming to pick up your weekly trash and recycling sometime this fall.

"As the operator of 17,000 trucks, Republic Services is uniquely positioned to advance decarbonization through our commitment to electrification, delivering meaningful environmental and economic benefits," Republic Services president and CEO, Jon Vander Ark, stated in a press release. "Our engagement with Oshkosh on the truck of the future will accelerate the transition of our fleet while providing advanced safety features and technology."

"We are pleased Republic sees the value in this first-of-its kind integrated, electric refuse collection vehicle," Oshkosh Corporation president and CEO, John Pfeifer, also stated. "We are like-minded in our commitment to electrification, active safety and advancing sustainability initiatives in communities around the world to make a difference in people's lives."

Electric garbage trucks could be the future of waste pick-up.

As early as fall 2023, electric garbage trucks could be picking up recycling and waste right from your driveway. Waste management company, Republic Services, has been working closely with truck manufacturer, Oshkosh Corporation, to design an entire fleet of electric garbage trucks. With a massive interior space, an extra safe enlarged windshield, automatic braking, lane-departure sensors, and 360-degree cameras, they're super safe and sustainable.

Within the next five years, the company — which currently operates across 47 U.S. states — will have half of its 17,000 vehicles running on clean, renewable energy.

By taking the same routes weekly, and with the opportunity to charge at night, transitioning to electric garbage trucks makes total sense.

This certainly brings Republic Services up a notch in the realm of eco-friendly waste pickup services. And with a goal to reduce Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 35 percent by 2030, as to achieve the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) global emissions target, it seems as though the company is on the right track.

When and where can we expect to see these electric garbage trucks?

Currently, Republic Services already has a few electric waste trucks running in two U.S. states. However, the company's latest investment is going to spread the new fleet out across the country, making waste pickup cleaner than ever. But which cities can expect to see these electric trucks first?

According to the company's press release, Republic Services' newest EV prototypes will be rolling out to Phoenix, Ariz. as of fall 2023. Then, sometime next year in 2024, they will start rolling out to Santa Ana, Calif., Carlsbad, Calif., and Portland, Ore. So if you're a resident in any of those cities, you can anticipate some clean AF garbage trucks in the next year — we can't wait.

Discover

How is the World Economic Forum promoting sustainable and inclusive mobility systems?

The World Economic Forum’s Platform for Shaping the Future of Mobility works across four industries: aerospace and drones; automotive and new mobility; aviation travel and tourism; and supply chain and transport. It aims to ensure that the future of mobility is safe, clean, and inclusive.

Through the Clean Skies for Tomorrow Coalition, more than 100 companies are working together to power global aviation with 10% sustainable aviation fuel by 2030.
In collaboration with UNICEF, the Forum developed a charter with leading shipping, airlines and logistics to support COVAX in delivering more than 1 billion COVID-19 vaccines to vulnerable communities worldwide.
The Road Freight Zero Project and P4G-Getting to Zero Coalition have led to outcomes demonstrating the rationale, costs and opportunities for accelerating the transition to zero emission freight.
The Medicine from the Sky initiative is using drones to deliver vaccines and medicine to remote areas in India, completing over 300 successful trials.
The Forum’s Target True Zero initiative is working to accelerate the deployment and scaling of zero emission aviation, leveraging electric and hydrogen flight technologies.
In collaboration with the City of Los Angeles, Federal Aviation Administration, and NASA, the Forum developed the Principles of the Urban Sky to help adopt Urban Air Mobility in cities worldwide.
The Forum led the development of the Space Sustainability Rating to incentivize and promote a more safe and sustainable approach to space mission management and debris mitigation in orbit.
The Circular Cars Initiative is informing the automotive circularity policy agenda, following the endorsement from European Commission and Zero Emission Vehicle Transition Council countries, and is now invited to support China’s policy roadmap.
The Moving India network is working with policymakers to advance electric vehicle manufacturing policies, ignite adoption of zero emission road freight vehicles, and finance the transition.
The Urban Mobility Scorecards initiative – led by the Forum’s Global New Mobility Coalition – is bringing together mobility operators and cities to benchmark the transition to sustainable urban mobility systems.

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