A source of carbon emissions in Redditch Borough has been slashed after council vehicles said goodbye to fossil fuels.

Redditch Borough Council’s familiar fleet of vans and bin lorries has now finished swapping over to the lower-emission new biofuel HVO, or Hydro-treated Vegetable Oil.

Dropping fossil-derived diesel means an up to 90% fall in the CO2 emitted by the council’s waste-collecting trucks and other road vehicles, or 507 tons less of the greenhouse gas every year – more than the weight of three blue whales.

It also helps to extend and improve the useful life of the existing vehicle fleet, enabling more value to be got from the already-emitted carbon costs of their original manufacturing.

The change came as part of the council’s plans to reduce its carbon emissions wherever it can, and also benefits local air quality as the vehicles now emit significantly less of the key pollutants nitrogen oxide, particulate matter, and carbon monoxide.

The Borough Council’s Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services, Cllr Peter Fleming, said: “Moving away from fossil diesel to a lower carbon fuel is part of this council’s long-term commitment to cutting carbon emissions, which has only grown since the climate emergency was declared.

“Because we can just swap out fossil diesel for HVO, it’s a cost-effective move that’s slashed our emissions now while we continue to make use of the vehicles we’ve already got – all while work continues on what our future vehicles could look like.”

The Leader of the Council, Cllr Matt Dormer, added: “Everyone wants better air quality and a better environment, and greening the fleet is a priority for this council. It’s a big task and I’m delighted that HVO is now bridging the gap to the next generation of even lower emission vehicles in Redditch.”

HVO is a form of cleaner diesel made to British Standard EN 15940, a ‘paraffinic diesel fuel specification that governs a new generation of cleaner transport fuel for use in road vehicles’. It is derived from oils and fats, such as used cooking oils, non-food grade crops, and animal fats left over from food processing, and can include renewable sources.