First Scottish Council to introduce innovative safety technology

West Dunbartonshire has become the first Scottish Council to introduce innovative safety technology that allows its refuse collection vehicles to be brought to a controlled stop in an emergency situation.

The emergency braking system from Vision techniques VT STOPSAFE system allows crew members or other passengers to safely slow down and stop the vehicle if the driver loses control for any reason.

When the system is activated, it limits the vehicle engine revs from the accelerator pedal and uses braking pulses to bring the vehicle to a halt in seconds.  This method means the vehicle won’t swerve, skid or lock up, reducing the risk to other road users and pedestrians. Once activated, alarms also sound from the vehicle to alert pedestrians to an approaching hazard.

The Vehicle Certification Authority (VCA) approved safety feature was installed in each of the Council’s 21 bin lorries in the past few months, and all waste services staff have received training in operating the system.

Councillor Iain McLaren, Convener of Infrastructure, Regeneration and Economic Development, welcomed the addition of the technology.

He said: “I am pleased to see West Dunbartonshire Council leading the way in making our refuse vehicles safer. We are the first Council in the UK to introduce this feature, and I am fully supportive of any initiative that keeps our residents and our staff safe.

“I hope this additional safety features gives peace of mind not only to employees but also their families, that in an emergency these vehicles can be brought to a safe stop.”

The innovation has gained particular interest with the Scottish press with extensive coverage from STV and BBC Scottish news and radio stations.

Shorts Group expands trade waste collection division

UK waste services, plant hire and demolition company, Shorts group, is expanding its flexible trade waste collection division with the addition of a brand-new 26t refuse vehicle to its existing fleet.

Lee Robinson, Trade Waste Business Manager, Shorts Group said: “The Trade Waste business is continually growing so we needed a new truck quickly.”

Shorts sourced a brand-new Mercedes Econic with Dennis Olympus body from Refuse Vehicle Solutions Ltd (RVS) RediTruck service, which provides new refuse vehicles directly from stock, delivered to short timescales. This is the second RediTruck that Shorts has purchased from RVS in the past 12 months.

Lee added: “We ordered the vehicle in November and it was delivered in January. RVS made sure the vehicle matched our specifications exactly, with bin-weighing and safety equipment fitted, and even made sure it was painted in our corporate grey. The vehicle is superb, and the service and support from RVS has been excellent.”

Shorts Group is a family business established over 60 years ago and continues to provide vital services to the waste management, construction and agricultural sectors. The company provides a complete trade service supplying bins and waste collection services, as well as waste processing through its own Materials Recycling Facility.

Fairport supports Ocean Recovery Project

A new, innovative recovery and recycling project undertaken by Keep Britain Tidy and Exeter City Council gave rise to the organisation of mass beach clear ups along the South West coast.

Many local residents took part in these events and were able recover 20 tonnes of plastic waste and litter, including litter from local areas, marine waste washed up on the shores and fishing industry discarded equipment.

The main aim of the project was to find a permanent, viable solution to the waste and ensure that recycling of such low-grade plastic was wholly possible.

The Ocean Recovery Project works closely with research institutes to find a sustainable outcome allowing all those involved to see a tangible recycling process that all stakeholders could buy into.

This approach has been highly motivational for all and helped to maintain support from the community.

Fairport Containers, over the past year has been working with the Council to support the project by providing the bulk Roll on Roll off recycling containers, thereby supplying the local area with means to collect all the plastic that has washed up on to the beach including bottles and fishing nets.

All waste material collected is transported to the Exeter City Council’s MRF station to be sorted and recycled. The application of the plastic recycling has been incredible to witness, and the functions of the products are awe inspiring to say the least.

Uses have included the production of grit bins for local residents, kayaks for local companies and schools to utilise and one of the most high-profile projects has been the building of a stage for the Glastonbury Festival solely using recycled materials.

As a locally based company, we have found the experience of working with the Council and their direct actions to clean up the local environment, extremely rewarding.

This project has demonstrated to the public the value in recycling low grade plastics into products with useful practical applications whilst adding worthwhile support to the local community. Helping towards resourcing the future with our present-day waste.

JCB celebrates 50 years of wheeled loader manufacturing

JCB celebrated 50 years of wheeled loader manufacturing in 2019 with production hitting record highs.

Helping drive demand was the waste and recycling sector, with record numbers of Wastemaster wheeled loaders sold during the special year.

Now JCB is building on that success with the launch on a new Stage V model in 2020.

JCB has updated the 457 wheeled loading shovel to meet the upcoming EU Stage V emissions legislation. The company has moved from the previous MTU engine to Cummins power, as currently used in both the 427 and 437 models.

The 457 will be powered by a QSB6.7 diesel engine, equipped with a single module after-treatment, containing a diesel oxidation catalyst, selective catalytic reduction (SCR), a diesel particulate filter (DPF) and an ammonia slip catalyst (ASC).

The move brings an increase in overall engine power, from 192kW (258hp) to 210kW (282hp).

However, the 457 will be equipped with two power modes, that can be activated from the cab by the operator to reduce the engine’s output to 167kW (224hp) for lighter operating duties. In addition, the machine will now be supplied as standard with a five-speed Powershift transmission, in place of the previous four-speed unit.

This combination will deliver a better range of speeds to suit a wide range of applications, but will also benefit from reduced fuel consumption of up to 10% as the loader will be able to operate both in low-power mode and with optimised efficiency through the use of better-spaced transmission ratios.

In addition, the 457 will feature an auto engine shut-down feature, that can be adjusted by the operator, resulting in further fuel efficiency and reduced emissions, prolonging service maintenance.

The machine will continue to use JCB’s Command Plus cab, but will benefit from improved KAB seating, in both the Deluxe and Super Deluxe specifications. JCB has also taken the opportunity to focus on external build quality, with improvements to the engine canopy fit, mudguards, rear grille latching and cooling pack sealing.

Steering now benefits from end-damping, to improve ride comfort and the wide-core cooling pack that was previously an option on the 457 will become standard equipment on the revised loader.