New fleet set to bring eco-friendly cleaning to Sandwell's streets

Sandwell Council has welcomed the fleet of new, innovative electric sweepers to its street cleansing operations as part of its commitment to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2041.

The council’s environmental services partner, Serco, has introduced six hand-operated pedestrian sweepers and two mini road sweepers to its fleet, which bring improved air quality, reduced noise pollution and, importantly, zero carbon dioxide emissions.

Each of the six towns in Sandwell will have a hand-operated Maxwind Electric Pedestrian Sweeper working in high footfall precinct areas, with the units having a run time of 10 to 12 hours.

A single charge will cost between £3 and £4 and they are 90 per cent recyclable at the end of their life.

The two Neo Max Mini Road Sweepers, which also have zero carbon emissions, will work to keep roads and pavements clean across the borough as part of a larger team of road sweepers.

They have a run time of eight to 10 hours and a charge costs between £15 and £20, saving up to 90 per cent on fuel costs in comparison to a non-electric counterpart.

Councillor Zahoor Ahmed, Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for environment services, said: “The addition of the new electric sweepers to our cleaning operations is a huge boost to our commitment to achieving zero carbon emissions by 2041.

"We are also working to reduce emissions from transport by encouraging the use of electric vehicles and improving public transport infrastructure.”

Councillor Peter Hughes, Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and growth, said: “I am delighted that Sandwell is among the councils adopting clean technology to keep our streets and public spaces tidy whilst reducing pollution to our environment.

"The introduction of the electric sweepers is yet another step by Sandwell Council towards reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable practices.”

Tony Marston, senior contract manager at Serco said: “We are delighted to welcome the eight new electric sweepers which will support our dedicated street cleansing teams to carry out their work both efficiently and sustainably.

"We’re really proud to support our partner Sandwell Council on its journey to net zero and look forward to introducing more electrical vehicles to the fleet in the coming months.”

Sandwell Council has committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2041 as part of its climate change strategy.

For further information about the council’s climate change strategy, go to sandwell.gov.uk/downloads/file/31151/climate_change_strategy