Vehicles are quieter and cleaner than old diesel rigs used to collect garbage
Published in the October 26 – November 8, 2016 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Marty Cheek
Photo by Marty Cheek
Several of the new Recology compressed natural gas-powered garbage trucks line up at its refueling station. The company introduced the new trucks at a ribbon cutting Oct. 12.
Recology South Valley aims to protect the environment and improve the quality of life for residents in Gilroy and Morgan Hill. And this summer it launched a new program to have its waste disposal and recycling trucks powered by compressed natural gas.
At a ribbon cutting at the company’s Pacheco Pass facility Oct. 12, dignitaries from Gilroy and Morgan Hill joined with Recology staff and administrators to cut a ribbon and celebrate the new CNG-powered trucks and the advanced system that fuels them.
Morgan Hill Mayor Steve Tate said that the switch to CNG shows Recology is truly focused on being an environmentally-friendly company.
“Three years ago, this entity changed its name to Recology. My whole thought at that time was it was a publicity stunt, they’re not really a green kind of thing, they’re garbage trucks,” he said. “Now look at the trucks – they are clean energy, they live up to that name and I am just thrilled that you’ve done this.”
Recology took nearly two years and paid slightly less than $2 million to build the new system, said General Manager Phil Couchee. It had to tie its facility into PG&E’s main distribution line along Highway 152, which has 700 pounds per square inch in pressure.
The Recology team
Photo by Marty Cheek
At Recology’s site, the line went into a two-inch piping system with meters and gauges that reduce the pressure to under 150 psi. The natural gas then goes through a compression unit. It’s then fed into a line of CNG garbage trucks which go through a “slow-fuel system” from 10 a.m. to midnight where the natural gas is pumped into a “turtle-shell” on the top of the truck. When the drivers come to work in the morning, their trucks are ready to roll.
Currently, Recology has eight trucks on the road, with four serving Morgan Hill and the other four serving Gilroy. In November, 10 more trucks will be delivered, with five going to Morgan Hill and the other five going to Gilroy.
“The drivers like them because they’re quieter and smoother running,” Couchee said. “Natural gas over the long term is a much more stable commodity, so it will be much cheaper when diesel goes back up in price. It’ll save money, and it’s certainly a cleaner fuel.”
The conversion at Recology began when Tony Eulo, program administrator for the city of Morgan Hill, approached Couchee and asked him to consider the idea of going to CNG.
“This is a normal way to pick up garbage with compressed natural gas trucks,” Eulo said. “It would be cleaner for the environment, so it makes sense to do. It’s all positive — reduced emissions, reduced air pollution and it’s also quieter.”
Most people won’t notice the difference in the fueling for the trucks, but they most likely will support the more environmentally-friendly way of picking up the South Valley’s garbage, he said.
