Monday, April 09, 2007
News release
S.F. scavengers complete switch Use alternative fuels in all trucks
B-roll available on request
Change to cut greenhouse gas emissions 5,400 tons a year
SAN FRANCISCO: We don't burn straight diesel in garbage trucks in San Francisco. Not anymore.
Our entire fleet of collection and transfer trucks, more than 385 vehicles, runs on alternative fuel.
The garbage companies serving the city actively test and use alternatives to conventional fuels. In 2001 we built the first liquefied natural gas fueling station in the Bay Area. We use LNG, a cryogenic fuel, in five collection trucks and in eight transfer trucks.
On March 19, 2007 we switched the remainder of truck fleet, 335 collection trucks and 37 transfer trucks, to biodiesel.
The biodiesel is B-20, a blended fuel including 20 percent biodiesel made from vegetable oil and 80 percent low-sulfur diesel. By switching to LNG and B-20 biodiesel the San Francisco garbage companies will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5,400 tons (10.7 million pounds) a year, a 21 percent decrease.
Stricter environmental standards for diesel fuels, improved engine technologies, catalytic converters and using alternative fuels all combine to reduce truck emissions. Because we use alternative fuels, equip our trucks with superior catalytic converters, and maintain our fleet in good condition the overall emissions will measure well below legal limits.
"San Francisco adopted aggressive goals to reduce citywide greenhouse gas emissions," said Jared Blumenfeld, Director of San Francisco's Environment
Department. "By operating their entire truck fleet on alternative fuels Sunset Scavenger and Golden Gate are helping to fight global warming as well as improve the quality of life in San Francisco."
The San Francisco garbage and recycling companies - Sunset Scavenger, Golden Gate Disposal & Recycling and S.F. Recycling & Disposal, Inc. - will continue to explore ways to further reduce emissions and help protect air and water. In the future we hope to harvest energy from the compostable materials we collect and use a portion of that energy to power our trucks.
Going forward we will continue to test and use alternative fuels and emission-reduction technologies as we strive to further reduce our environmental footprint and fuel use.
Media contact:
Robert Reed
Sunset Scavenger
(415) 606-9183