Electric waste collection trucks set to be rolled out in Adur and Worthing
Released: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
We are transitioning to more environmentally-friendly waste collection vehicles to meet our 2030 carbon neutral targets.
Our fleet of vehicles deliver essential frontline services, including waste and recycling collections, cleansing, and parks and building services.
The fleet is responsible for over 45% of our carbon emissions and includes diesel HGVs. 21 of the current refuse collection vehicles were purchased in 2017 and are due for replacement from 2026.
At a meeting of the Joint Strategic Committee, councillors agreed to proposals to gradually replace the diesel waste refuse vehicles with electric alternatives - with the first one due to be purchased in the coming financial year.
The move away from bulk replacement will enable us to take advantage of evolving technologies and costs coming down. It will also give our waste team the chance to properly test the technology and provide time to make changes to depot and vehicle workshop infrastructure needed to accommodate the new technology.
Further electric waste vehicles will be added to the fleet every subsequent year, subject to evaluation of the early testing. Some of the existing diesel HGVs will be refurbished to extend their useful life by up to five years or replaced with a small number of second-hand trucks.
While we transition to electric vehicles, the remaining diesel vehicles will be switched to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuel - a greener alternative to diesel that will contribute to our carbon neutral targets in the short-term. By 2030 we aim to have at least 16 electric refuse collection trucks in the fleet.
Smaller vehicles in our fleet have already started to be replaced with electric models - the cleansing service operates nine electric vans, with four new ones having come into service in the last two months.
Domestic food waste collections will begin in Adur and Worthing by spring 2026, and funding from central government will pay for ten new 7.5-tonne vehicles, including two electric vehicles, and charging points at our Commerce Way depot.
Cllr Andrew Harvey, Adur's cabinet member for the environment and leisure, said:
“By gradually replacing the waste fleet with electric vehicles, we will be reducing one of our biggest causes of carbon emissions.
“This vital project sits alongside our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint and our work with partners on the Adur River Restoration Project and the Sussex Bay programme to regenerate our environment. We are committed to transforming the way we work to ensure that Adur is fairer and greener for everyone.”
Cllr Vicki Wells, Worthing's cabinet member for environmental services, said:
“I am delighted that the long awaited domestic food waste collections will finally start in 2026. Our commitment to electric HGVs and the interim transitional move to HVO fuel, together with infrastructure improvements like the Worthing Heat Network, means we are on target to hit our carbon neutral 2030 target.
“Our existing waste fleet contributes to local poor air quality, producing over 45% of the council's carbon emissions in toxic, diesel exhaust fumes. I am so pleased that we are moving as fast as possible to eradicate this.”
Photo: Recycling lorry out on a collection round (waste truck in Shoreham)
(PR25-016)
Page last updated: 04 March 2025