DENBIGHSHIRE residents have had their bins emptied by an electric waste collection vehicle for the first time.

Denbighshire County Council’s Waste and Recycling team has been trialling a new waste collection vehicle which runs solely on electric.

The trial of the Dennis Eagle e-Collect, on loan through Dennis Eagle, a well-established supplier of waste collection vehicles, is part of the Council’s work to reduce carbon emissions and protect the environment.

Cllr Brian Jones, Lead Member for Waste, Transport and the Environment, said: “The Council is serious about tackling the climate and ecological change emergency.

“As part of that work we are asking residents to recycle as much of their waste as possible and we must also reduce the carbon emissions generated through collecting our waste, and keep pace with the new developments in technology.

“The waste collection crews involved in the trial have been very positive about the electric vehicle and are confident it is up to the job.

“The trial has shown plenty of battery capacity left at the end of shifts and without exhaust fumes and a reduction in noise, the vehicle is safer and more comfortable to operate for staff.”

The vehicle has been trialled in Rhyl, Prestatyn and Ruthin with staff from the Waste and Recycling team and Cllr Jones.

The Council will use evidence from the trial to determine how many electric vehicles it could introduce to its fleet in the next two years, as its existing fleet comes up for replacement. The Council will assess which areas of the county can be serviced by this particular model of vehicle as a range of sizes of refuse collection vehicles are currently used across the county.

The Council’s new waste depot in Denbigh, due to be completed in 2022, is being designed to accommodate electric vehicles