Environment

Trash Technology

Posted: 7/29/2010

Garbage fuels garbage trucks--imagine that!

(NAPSA) - Americans throw away a lot of trash--almost 250 million tons every year--and it takes a fleet of more than 130,000 trucks to haul it away.

Fortunately, some clever researchers have found a way to collect all that garbage without trashing the planet at the same time. Compacting garbage trucks have used diesel fuel since they were first introduced in the 1940s. Now, waste companies are looking to the latest technologies to cut down on costs, conserve energy and reduce emissions.

Alternatives to diesel to power the fleet include compressed or liquefied natural gas or biodiesel, which can be made from trash itself. Garbage disposed into landfills can also be used as a clean, renewable source of energy, by capturing methane gas, a natural by-product of landfills, and turning it into fuel. More than 50 U.S. cities already have garbage trucks running on alternative fuels.

In addition, garbage truck manufacturers are major investors in hybrid technology, similar to the technology powering many new cars. Hybrid engines are particularly promising for trash trucks due to the stop-and-go nature of their routes; frequent braking generates the hybrid power.

To make trash collection even more efficient, collection companies are using onboard technologies, such as routing software and GPS systems, and doing simple things like regularly checking tire pressure and keeping trucks well maintained. Little things such as those can add up to big savings when done nationwide.

This not only lowers costs, it significantly reduces pollution and improves air quality.

"The garbage industry has changed remarkably in the last 20 years," said Bruce J. Parker, president of the National Solid Wastes Management Association. "We don't just haul trash away--we use science to solve pressing environmental challenges."

You can be part of the pollution solution, too. Here are hints on how:

• Buy durable products.

• Repair/restore used items before replacing them.

• Buy items you can reuse or recycle.

• Avoid excess packaging. Buy products in bulk if you can.

To find out more about how garbage companies improve the environment, visit www.environmentalistseveryday.org.

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