Emterra Environmental, one of the largest integrated waste to resource management companies in Canada, launched its first electric vehicle fleet consisting of eight Mack庐 LR Electric refuse vehicles to operate in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. This will be the largest order of Mack LR Electric vehicles thus far in North America. Emterra Environmental also has a Mack LR Electric refuse vehicle operating in the Peel Region of Ontario, Canada, which was delivered in October 2023.
鈥淲e are excited that Emterra Environmental and the City of Courtenay and Town of Comox chose the Mack LR Electric refuse vehicle to help them accomplish their goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG),鈥� said Jonathan Randall, president of Mack Trucks North America. 鈥淭his investment by Emterra signifies that refuse companies and municipalities recognize the importance of sustainability and trust that Mack Trucks can help them reduce their environmental footprint with a reliable, durable and quiet truck.鈥�
Emterra Environmental made the announcement during an event at聽 Comox Marina Park, Town of Comox, British Columbia, Canada. Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low-Carbon Innovation in British Columbia was in attendance alongside representatives of Emterra Environmental, BC Hydro-Power and Mack Trucks.
Emterra Environmental has a decades-long record of being an early adopter of the latest low-carbon technologies and has sought to find municipal partners that share their sustainability vision of reducing carbon emissions. Emterra proactively approached the City of Courtenay and the Town of Comox with the opportunity of a battery-electric vehicle (BEV) fleet as part of Emterra鈥檚 multi-year contract with them for residential curbside collection.
鈥淭he launch of our fully electric fleet in Comox Valley builds on our circular economy legacy,鈥� said Emmie Leung, founder and CEO, Emterra Group. 鈥淲e introduced the first successful municipal curbside recycling program in British Columbia in the early 1980鈥檚, and now we are introducing the first entirely zero emissions聽 collection fleet in Canada. We are committed to leading the way through entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainability.鈥�
The launch of the Mack LR Electric fleet is in line with the CleanBC Program, which has a goal of reducing climate-changing emissions by 40% by 2030. Officials say that transportation accounts for about 40% of the annual GHG emissions in British Columbia, so the transition to an electric refuse fleet will help assist Courtenay and Comox achieve their emissions reductions goals.
鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled to see Emterra Environmental take this significant step towards a greener future with the launch of the largest fleet of Mack LR Electric trucks in North America,鈥� Osborne said. 鈥淭his initiative aligns with our CleanBC goals, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and demonstrating the tangible benefits of adopting clean technology with thousands of households and businesses throughout the Comox Valley enjoying quieter, more efficient waste collection services.”