Residents in Sefton, Merseyside, are enjoying the benefits of cleaner and 'greener' streets following the introduction of a new clutch of nine Fuso Canter trucks.
The 7.5-tonners are operated by PD Logistics on behalf of Palm Recycling, which purchased the vehicles after securing a five-year contract from Sefton Borough Council. They provide a weekly kerbside collection service of recyclable materials to 124,000 households.
The trucks are all Canter 7C18 models and powered by state-of-the-art 180hp engines which meet not only the latest Euro 5 exhaust emissions limits but also the more stringent, and voluntary, Enhanced Environmentally-friendly Vehicle standard.
They were supplied by Liverpool dealer Mercedes-Benz dealer Road Range Commercials - the German manufacturer's dealers are also responsible for sales and support of the popular Japanese light truck range - and are fitted with bespoke bodies of the operator's own design, by Stoke-on-Trent specialist Stag.
The new Canters make weekly collections of paper, glass, cans, textiles and food waste. Items are loaded directly into separate stillages on the vehicle and returned to Palm Recycling's site in Kirby, where they are loaded into trailers and transferred to material end user reprocessors across the UK.
Ben Saunders, Palm Recycling's UK Operations Manager, said: The addition of these Canters, which will be operated by PD Logistics, expands our UK fleet enormously. They are bespoke, state-of-the-art vehicles that present a modern , clean and efficient appearance and will assist in continuing to deliver a high-quality, cost-effective recycling service to Sefton Borough Council and the residents of the area.
He added: "Ideal for the role, the Canter has a compact yet extremely robust chassis, which is more than capable of standing up to the workload. It's also superbly reliable and economical to operate, and the cab is well liked by our operatives, who appreciate the fact that it's surprisingly roomy and comfortable, as well as being easy to get in and out of."