Over 1,550 tonnes of carbon emissions have been saved since two north Hampshire councils began fuelling their bin trucks with a low-emission biofuel.

In April last year, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Hart District Council, who share a waste and recycling collection service, swapped their kerbside collection trucks from diesel to hydrogenated vegetable oil.

The vehicles did not need to be modified to swap from diesel to this alternative fuel and now emit up to 98% less carbon from their tailpipes, according to official government conversion factors.

The use of this more environmentally friendly fuel is part of the councils’ work to reduce their emissions in support of their climate emergency declarations.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for the Climate and Ecological Emergency Cllr Chris Tomblin said: “I am so pleased that, thanks to this biofuel, we’ve been able to maintain the reliable waste and recycling collection service that is so important to our residents while cutting this council’s emissions by around 1,227 tonnes.

“This action is equivalent to planting about 300 trees and has more than halved this council’s carbon footprint, compared to before we started using the fuel. Combined with our other ongoing action to tackle our emissions, we are continuing to make good progress as this council nears its target to be carbon neutral by the end of this year.”

Hart District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Climate Change and Corporate Services Cllr Richard Quarterman said: “As part of our climate goals for both the council and district, we are always looking for ways to deliver climate savings in our day-to-day services. Finding a way to significantly cut carbon emissions in this key council function has been important, and we continue to examine all services to find ways to make further savings.”

More information on Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s climate emergency declaration is at www.basingstoke.gov.uk/climate

More information on Hart District Council’s climate emergency declaration is at www.hart.gov.uk/environment/climate-change