Republic Services has added 41 natural gas vehicles to its Lakeland, Fla., area collection fleet. The trucks feature chassis by Mack Trucks and engines by Cummins Westport. Nationwide, Republic has approximately 500 alternatively fueled vehicles.

Republic also recently opened a $4.1 million materials recovery facility in Polk County, Fla., that will process single-stream residential and commercial recyclables from the nearby central Florida cities of Lakeland, Tampa and Orlando.

“The new recycling facility will play a critical role in the management of solid waste and recyclables in central Florida,” said Mark Talbott, general manager of Republic Services, in a press release. “It provides a valued service for the businesses and residents who rely on a convenient and cost-effective solution for their recycling, and it adds 18 new jobs.”

In other alternative fuel news, Veolia ES Solid Waste has begun using a fleet of 32 compressed natural gas (CNG)-fueled vehicles in its Fort Myers, Fla., service area. The firm also has opened an on-site CNG fueling station that uses a technology that allows trucks to fuel during overnight hours to minimize downtime.

According to Veolia, CNG produces 29 percent less carbon dioxide than oil, and its CNG-powered trucks — which feature Autocar chassis and McNeilus bodies — are 15 percent quieter than trucks with diesel engines.

“A CNG-powered fleet is a win-win for Veolia and for Lee County,” said Jim Long, president and CEO of Veolia ES Solid Waste, in a statement.

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