Republic expands Compressed Natural Gas-powered fleet in metro area
From Illinois Business Journal news services
ST. LOUIS — Republic Services, whose trucks serve St. Louis and Metro East among many locations, has added four Compressed Natural Gas solid waste collection trucks to its fleet serving local customers.
The CNG trucks replace older diesel-powered trucks and bring the total number of natural gas vehicles operated by Republic in metropolitan St. Louis to 107.
“Everything we do is for our customers,” said Tim Trost, market vice president of Republic Services. “We take tremendous pride in serving this community, and are serious about doing our part to protect St. Louis’ considerable natural beauty for future generations. As one of the larger vocational fleet operators in the area, we recognize that we can make a positive, lasting environmental impact through reduced carbon emissions. This Earth Day, we are proud to expand our use of alternative fuel vehicles in St. Louis.”
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, each new CNG collection truck deployed is equivalent to planting over 600 mature trees annually. Based on EPA calculations, the carbon emissions reduction benefits from Republic’s CNG-powered fleet in St. Louis is equivalent to planting 64,200 mature trees per year.
In metropolitan St. Louis, Republic has more than 630 employees who serve approximately 300,000 residential customers and more than 20,000 commercial customers. Republic operates four hauling operations, four closed landfills, three transfer stations, two recycling centers, and one active landfill in the area, as well as a CNG fueling station to support its expanding St. Louis-based fleet.
Nationwide, Republic Services operates a fleet of approximately 2,500 CNG vehicles and 38 natural gas fueling stations. Republic’s CNG-powered fleet helps to save roughly 18 million gallons of diesel fuel annually. Approximately one-third of all replacement vehicles purchased last year by Republic were CNG-powered vehicles.
In 2015, Republic Services was among the top companies recognized by Carbon Disclosure Project, a leading international non-profit organization dedicated to measuring and disclosing environmental information, in the 2015 CDP S&P 500 Climate Change Report. Republic earned a score of 98 out of 100, which reflects its strong commitment to transparency, quality and completeness, and an A- in Performance. Achieving an A is the highest Performance score possible.
