A 5% drop in carbon emissions by the district’s waste operator has been welcomed by Folkestone & Hythe District Council.
As part of its contract with the council, Veolia had committed to support Folkestone & Hythe’s objective of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
Reporting its 2022 figures compared to the previous two years Veolia has attributed the drop in emissions partly to a reduction in the fuel consumption of its vehicles.
This is due to equipping new vehicles with electric bin lifts under the new contract and making sure that routes are as efficient as possible and unnecessary journeys reduced.
There has been an 11% decrease in electricity use at the Folkestone depot in Military Road where LED lighting has been fitted recently.
In addition, the consumption of gas, largely used for heating at the depot, has decreased by 15.7%.
Council Cabinet Member for the Environment Cllr Lesley Whybrow said: “This is a very welcome step in the right direction. Reducing carbon emissions across our district is going to need a lot of effort and everyone will have to play a part. I am really pleased that Veolia have been so willing to work with us on this.”
Council leader Cllr David Monk added: “We are fully committed to our net zero carbon emissions target so it is very good news that Veolia is supporting us with the measures being taken.”