For U.S. company Republic Services, Inc., using Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) -powered waste collection vehicles is all about maintaining a balance between business operations and protecting the environment and communities it serves. Accordingly, it has just added 17 CNG solid waste collection trucks to its fleet serving the greater Denver area. The CNG trucks replace older diesel-powered trucks, and bring the total number of natural gas vehicles operated by Republic throughout Colorado to 82.
Republic Services operates a natural gas fueling station at its Commerce City location to support its expanding Denver-based CNG fleet. One-third of Republic’s fleet serving the greater Denver metropolitan area is now powered by the domestic fuel source. Republic operates 158 collection trucks statewide, more than half are powered by CNG.
Nationwide, Republic Services operates a fleet of more than 2,200 CNG vehicles and 38 natural gas fueling stations. Republic’s CNG fleet helps to save roughly 18 million gallons of diesel fuel annually. As the operator of the 8th largest vocational fleet in the country, Republic has a number of initiatives to reduce overall fuel usage, including its continued commitment to operating CNG powered trucks. Together, these initiatives will help Republic reach its goal of reducing fleet greenhouse gas emissions by 3 percent by 2018.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), each new CNG collection truck deployed is equivalent to removing five passenger vehicles from local roads or planting 600 mature trees each year. Based on EPA calculations, the carbon emissions reduction benefits from Republic’s CNG powered fleet in Colorado is equivalent to planting more than 94,000 mature trees annually.
(Source: Republic Services, Inc.)
