Totally Local Company’s Commitment to a Greener Future – Leading the Way in Sustainability

At TLC, we are proud of our commitment to doing our best for the environment.

As a company, we are continuously striving to reduce our environmental impact through various sustainable initiatives, aiming for a greener future for our community and beyond.

Here’s a look at how we’re making a difference:

Our Sustainability Initiatives include:

• An extensive Recycling Programme:
  • Recycling 100% of motor oil waste from our operations
  • Using woodchips from greenspace projects to generate green energy
  • Repurposing timber with local businesses to enhance the local community
  • Converting catering oil into biofuels, contributing to the circular economy
• Sustainable Energy Solutions:
  • At our main depot, we have installed solar panels that power our offices and workshops. Any surplus energy produced is returned back to the grid, maximizing our contribution to renewable energy use.
  • The introduction of TRAILAR solar panels on our newly purchased RCVs powers on-board ancillary equipment, reducing reliance on the vehicle’s alternator and thereby saving fuel.
• Electric Vehicle Integration:
  • We have taken our first steps toward an electric fleet with the purchase of a small mechanical sweeper, marking our commitment to cleaner transport solutions.

Image: TLC’s Electric Sweeper. A new era of electric is here. Our Urban-Sweeper S2.0, the first fully electric street sweeper releasing 0 (zero) emissions and engineered by Boschung.

What’s next on our journey?

Our primary challenge in reducing our carbon footprint lies in the fleet vehicles that enable us to deliver core services to Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC) and the wider community. Although these vehicles meet the latest emissions standards, they are typically heavy-duty (e.g., recycling and refuse collection trucks, large sweepers, and tipping trucks) and carry heavy loads, resulting in relatively higher CO2 emissions.

Recently, in collaboration with SMBC and Logistics UK, we conducted a comprehensive study of our fleet. This included:

• Analysing our fleet’s vehicle types and usage
• Reviewing both existing and emerging alternative technologies
• Outlining a roadmap to achieve full fleet decarbonisation by 2030

While 2030 is our target, we’re already taking tangible steps toward reducing emissions.

We launched our HVO biofuel trials on 21st October 2024.

What is HVO?

HVO, which stands for Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil, gets its name from the way its produced – through the hydrotreatment of vegetable oils which ensures a consistent product with no esters (esters are organic compounds that are formed when an alcohol and an acid combine, and water is removed) or contamination.

Part of the paraffinic family of fuels, HVO is a stable, renewable, sustainable, and high-quality direct diesel replacement, making it perfectly suited for a wide range of applications including vehicles, generators, and industrial power systems.

Image: HVO components.

HVO Trials:

• The trials have focussed on a select group of vehicles and drivers within our Recycling and Refuse Service.
• We have received great support working in collaboration with our Fleet Workshop team.
• We are continuing to closely monitor our vehicle performance using system data and driver feedback, and to date the trials are going really well.
• We will continue to monitor our trials over several weeks and will be providing further updates during our green journey.

A special thanks goes out to everyone participating in this trial – their contributions are crucial to its success.

What’s on the Horizon?

• Pending successful trial results, we are excited about the possibility of expanding HVO biofuel use across the majority of our fleet in the coming months. This would mark a significant milestone on our journey towards full fleet decarbonisation, bringing us one step closer to a sustainable future.

At TLC, we remain committed to exploring innovative solutions and implementing practices that help protect our planet. We look forward to continuing this journey with our dedicated employees, supportive partners, and the communities we serve.