Madrid Expands Organic Waste Collection with 36 CNG Trucks

Waste collection in Madrid The Governing Board of the City of Madrid last week approved a budget for the purchase of 36 ECO trucks powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), for the collection of organic waste. The purchase will enable city managers to extend the collection of organic matter to all districts.

Using CNG qualifies the 36 trucks to carry and benefit from the ECO environmental category. To adapt to the specific needs of the districts in which they will provide service, the acquisition of two different models is contemplated: 30 rear loading units with 19 m 3 capacity and 6 lateral loading units with 22 m 3 capacity each.

The trucks, to be purchased within an allocated budget of EUR 8 million, will develop their service in the districts of Centro, Retiro, Salamanca, Chamartín, Fuencarral – El Pardo, Moratalaz, Carabanchel, Usera and Barajas, in which the daily selective collection of bio-waste will be progressively implemented as of November 2019. Currently 273 tons of this type of waste are collected daily.

With the incorporation of these collection trucks and the extension of the collection of the organic fraction to the whole city, the European objective is to reach 50% of waste prepared for reuse and recycling before 2020 and Madrid aims to have the separate collection of organic waste or bio-waste completely implemented in that year.

The overarching purpose is to mitigate the adverse impact of waste on human health and the environment by improving efficiency in the use of resources, a goal contemplated in the Waste Reduction Strategy of the city of Madrid, currently awaiting approval.

The acquisition of these vehicles of category ECO is part of the Plan A of Air Quality and Climate Change, which provides for the renewal of the fleet of municipal services by low emission vehicles.

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