Why a British waste disposal company is converting its entire fleet to the Econic.
For The Recycling Partnership, a waste disposal company based in the UK county of Sussex, only the Mercedes-Benz Econic will do. The Special Truck makes waste collection safer and more efficient, as well as boasting advanced technology and enabling long-term planning certainty. Because of this, The Recycling Partnership has full confidence in Mercedes-Benz – and have already set their sights on locally CO2 -free disposal with the electric eEconic.
Modern recycling in the county of Sussex.
It's early morning, and the East Sussex town of Brighton is enveloped by mist. The first rumble of waste bins can be heard in the distance. The Recycling Partnership’s collection vehicle is once again rolling along the streets of this coastal town, also known in the UK by its tongue-in-cheek name "London by the sea". The star on the radiator grille reveals that this truck is a Mercedes-Benz Econic – and it’s not the only one out on the road today.
This is because the company has converted its entire fleet to Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks. And for good reason.
Recycling on a growth course.
The Recycling Partnership started out with just one truck. Its goal: to provide commercial companies in the region with the most technically efficient form of waste disposal solution. The British company now has its own recycling centre at its headquarters in Turners Hill, along with another location in Brighton and a team that is on the road with 21 vehicles throughout south-east England – from East and West Sussex to parts of Surrey and Kent.
In Turners Hill, employees pre-sort the collected waste, which is then either recycled or used for energy production. The company also offers special services, such as disposal and recycling of food waste, confidential documents and electronic devices, while skip rental for commercial enterprises and private households make up another strand of its portfolio.
Andrew Burgess, Transport Manager, The Recycling Partnership
A promising model.
“We have been using Mercedes-Benz vehicles for several years now”, says Andrew Burgess, Transport Manager at the company. “But previously, we used vehicles from other manufacturers too.”
That’s why as soon as he started working at the company, Andrew set himself the goal of ensuring greater uniformity in terms of both vehicle fleet and supplier. “This greatly simplifies fleet management and ensures a close relationship with a reliable partner who takes care of procurement and service”, he says.
A reliable partner: the Econic 2530 in the 6x2 wheel configuration with rear axle steering
This reliable partner is SAGA Truck & Van, based in the neighbouring county of Kent. This company also purchased the two Econic 2530 vehicles with the 6x2 wheel configuration and rear-axle steering, which completed the recycling fleet. Working with Shaun O'Hara from SAGA has made a huge impression on Andrew: "Right from the word go, I was impressed by his knowledge of the industry. He knows both his product and the accessories, and how they relate to the Econic."
Technology that changes everyday life.
Each of the 21 vehicles in the fleet has a 7.7-litre diesel engine generating 220 kW (300 hp) and a six-speed Allison automatic transmission. A Dennis Eagle waste press body and Terberg rearloaders have also been added to this high-performance powertrain to create a combination that has proven its worth – particularly along narrow English alleys and on labour-intensive tours.
The Recycling Partnership’s team carries out vehicle maintenance at its very own workshop in Turners Hill – another advantage of the unified fleet structure, as Andrew Burgess explains: “in-house maintenance makes everyday life easier for our technicians.”
And in the event of serious problems, technical advice and support are always just a phone call away for SAGA customers. “But we've never needed it”, says the satisfied Transport Manager.
Five stars for safety.
As a company that is at home in urban areas, the Recycling Partnership attaches great importance to safety for both the driver and others. With its low-drawn panoramic window and low seating position, the Econic offers an optimum view of road traffic from the moment it leaves the factory. However, when the fully glazed side door is added, as with The Recycling Partnership, the vehicle is also awarded the important five-star Direct Vision classification of Transport for London.
The Econic cab is designed to provide the driver with an optimum view and enables all drivers in the team to have direct eye contact with cyclists and pedestrians. This prevents misunderstandings and helps to avoid serious traffic accidents. Automatic Brake Assist with pedestrian detection and the electronic parking brake, which is automatically activated when the engine is switched off, have also been installed with accident prevention in mind.
And these are just two of the numerous assistance systems in the Econic that help to make the driver's work easier as well as keep them and other road users safe.
Andrew Burgess is also looking to the future with confidence: “We are looking forward to an even closer partnership with SAGA”, he says, “and are already benefiting from Shaun O'Hara’s impressive knowledge of the battery-electric eEconic as we take our first steps towards electromobility.”
As a locally CO2 -free solution, the eEconic is bringing The Recycling Partnership's waste disposal activities into greater harmony with the community: with its quiet electric motor, which nevertheless delivers an output of 330 kW, the eEconic is ideally suited for noise-sensitive inner cities. And with a battery capacity of up to 336 kWh, it doesn't need to be recharged during a normal waste collection shift.
In addition, the all-electric version has the same safety features as the classic Econic – including the DirectVision driver’s cab and intelligent assistance systems. For The Recycling Partnership, the transition to electric mobility is already within sight – their great confidence in the Econic is enabling them to make this vision a reality.
