Seattle will spend about $500,000 to retrofit 180 garbage and recycling trucks with oxidation catalysts to reduce tailpipe emissions, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
In addition, half the trucks will begin using B20 fuel, a blend of ultra-low-sulfur diesel and biodiesel fuel made of vegetable oil. The other half of the fleet will begin using the biofuel by the end of the year.
Officials believe that by paying to convert the trucks, owned by Rabanco and Waste Management, the city can set an example for private trucking companies.
“These changes will cut up to 90 percent of the exhaust-pipe pollution and make a difference in keeping our air clean,” Mayor Greg Nickels told the Post-Intelligencer.
