A new transport has arrived to serve the residents of the center and the old town, moving much more flexibly in the narrow streets. Two compact garbage trucks, half the size of traditional ones, already take care of order and cleanliness in the heart of the city of Vilnius.
"Servicing the city center is a considerable challenge. Moving with traditional waste collection trucks here is much more difficult due to the much narrower streets and roads compared to the sleeping areas of Vilnius. However, in order to properly take care of the environment of a representative part of the city, it was necessary to find a way to reach all its spaces. The new garbage trucks will allow you to move comfortably around the city center without endangering the safety of its buildings and facilities," says Romas Draskinis, head of the waste management company Ekonovus.
According to R. Draskinis, 250 thousand euros have been invested in the new waste collection trucks. They differ from traditional garbage trucks in that they are half the size and therefore much more maneuverable.
"The volume of the new garbage trucks reaches 10 cubic meters and is half the size of traditional trucks for this purpose. Such a compact size allows them to move freely through the streets of the Old Town, without disturbing other traffic participants and reaching all yards where waste containers are located," says the head of Ekonovus.
According to R. Draskinis, due to their size, these garbage trucks consume about 20 percent less diesel than traditional ones, and therefore pollute the environment less.
"The fuel consumption of these waste collection trucks is one fifth lower. We have been interested in many alternatives that would be suitable for narrow streets and would be environmentally friendly. The garbage trucks we currently have are probably the best solution. Of course, we are not saying "stop" here - we will continue to be interested in market innovations, we will look for even more sustainable transport. The ideal solution would be small garbage trucks powered by biogas, but there are no such trucks on the market yet. There are only their big "sisters", also powered by biogas - we have been serving some of the residents of the capital and the port city with them since the autumn," says R. Draskinis.
According to the specialist, greener waste management is driven by growing attention to air pollution and the need for healthier, cleaner air. It is estimated that more than 80 percent of people living in urban areas breathe air with pollution levels exceeding the limits set by the World Health Organization. As a result, metropolitan governments and companies operating in them are looking for alternatives that allow them to take more sustainable care of the city's cleanliness and order.
