City of Edinburgh Council invests in the future

Dennis Eagle is powering the biggest vehicle investment the City of Edinburgh has ever made as its council commits to improving services across Scotland’s capital. The City of Edinburgh Council has invested in a major fleet-replacement strategy, which sees 17 new Dennis Eagle vehicles being delivered now, and 52 more to come later in the year. The new narrow-width trucks are part of the council’s continued programme to deliver a seamless waste collection operation to residents.

The perfect fit

Residential refuse collection is quite the operation in Edinburgh. Home to over half a million people, the council’s refuse teams will typically lift up to 1,900 bins on each route per day, collecting over 15 tonnes of waste. Not only does the populous nature of the city make refuse collecting a significant task, but the steep, medieval streets of Edinburgh pose a number of headaches when operating large vehicles.

It is because of these conditions that the council ordered 59 26-tonne vehicles and 15 18-tonne narrow RCVs from Dennis Eagle.

A positive relationship

Our vehicles have been helping to keep Edinburgh’s streets clean for two decades and Dennis Eagle accounts for around 90% of the city’s 100-strong refuse vehicle fleet.

This relationship has endured because of the consistently positive feedback the vehicles receive from those who operate them. As with any good relationship, both parties are looking to the future. Edinburgh Council entered five of our eCollect eRCVs into service last November, with funding provided by Zero Waste Scotland. As the path towards net-zero becomes more critical with each passing year, electric vehicles are a step towards a greener future.

Cllr Scott Arthur, Environment Convener, said: “We’re committed to investing in our fleet and where possible we’re going electric. The feedback from staff using the five electric refuse collection vehicles shows they are making a real difference to our residents, operating a quieter service, and improving air quality - already saving over 100 tonnes of carbon emissions.

“The new vehicles have also improved visibility for our drivers and have cycle safety features, making them safer for vulnerable road users as well as protecting our staff.

“All of the waste vehicles we purchased are narrow-bodied and shorter, which really works in Edinburgh and gives our drivers more flexibility in narrow streets with tight areas.”