Waste Pro added two new hybrid recycling trucks to their Cape Coral fleet.
The trucks run on a combination of diesel fuel and hydraulic oil, making them more environmentally friendly.
Bill Jones, Division Manager of Waste Pro Fort Myers, said he requested the trucks for no extra cost to taxpayers.
Each truck costs Waste Pro roughly $400,000.
“The idea is that by using the stored energy of the hydraulic, you can actually reduce the amount of diesel fuel and therefore the emissions of diesel that come out of the truck,” said Jones.
Two new trucks are rotating between multiple neighborhoods in the Cape, in a test phase.
Waste Pro will decide where the hybrid trucks work best, and hopefully, someday, have a fleet full of hybrid recycling trucks.
“It’s the right thing to do,” said Jones. “We want to try to look at different ways to keep the environment (stay) clean….we want to divert more material from landfills; we also want to keep the air clean and the area around us.”
Residents can breathe easier, knowing the trucks will save about 15,000 gallons of diesel per year.