It is the first time a vehicle like this has been trialled in service in St Helens as the council is continually looking at ways to reduce its carbon footprint and improve air quality in the borough.

The trial took place this week, Monday to Thursday, along regular scheduled collection routes.

The vehicle being trialled is a Dennis Eagle eCollect, a fully integrated electric refuse collection wagon powered with an electric drive system instead of diesel to collect 20 tonnes of waste on an 8-hour shift before recharging is needed, typically overnight for 6–7 hours.

Councillor Andy Bowden, St Helens Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, said: 

“As a council we have committed to achieving zero carbon status by 2040 – doing our bit to address the climate emergency through green innovation, and building on that work collaboratively with partner agencies, businesses and voluntary organisations across the borough through our local Climate Change Commission. 

“The council is trialling and investigating a range of new collection vehicles over the next the next few months including efficient modern diesel, electric and hydrogen vehicles, all of which present exciting opportunities to reduce carbon emissions. The trials all form part of the council’s emerging new fleet management strategy. Hopefully as electric and hydrogen refuse vehicles become more affordable and tried and tested across the sector we will be able to see them on our streets more regularly. 

“We’re eager to see these vehicles in action to gain a much better understanding of their capabilities and how well they might fit into our future service delivery plans.”