New fleet of bin lorries to be fuelled by cooking oil

Bin lorries in the Cotswolds are to be replaced with vehicles powered by recycled cooking oil.

The district's diesel fleet will be swapped for 30 lorries running on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and one electric vehicle, in a move costing the council £7.8m.

Councillors approved the plans on Thursday night, after a cabinet meeting was told the area's kerbside sorting system would continue as normal, with the collection of plastic film planned for the future.

A Cotswold District Council spokesperson said: "Our fleet is reaching the end of its operational life, and we are replacing it with cleaner, greener alternatives."

The council said its waste and environment services account for 43% of the authority's emissions, so using bin lorries which run on cleaner fuel is vital for its decarbonisation plans.

"Cotswold District Council is planning decisive action to improve our recycling collection service and cut carbon emissions," the spokesperson added.

"These changes will make our service more reliable for residents while driving us towards a more sustainable future."

In a cabinet report, officials said market prices currently reflect a higher cost for running HVO vehicles against diesel and, if that remains the case, there will be increased costs in the 2026/27 financial year.

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