The Macpac trucks, each said to be worth around £115,000, will be deployed in Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, Hull and the south west.
Initially set up as a garden composting business, Aberdeen-based Keenan launched its commercial food waste collection services in Scotland in 2009. The company moved south of the border to expand across England in 2018 (see letsrecycle.com story). Keenan says it hopes to double its workforce in England in the next five years.
The company’s collections director Claire Keenan said: “Scotland has already introduced legislation requiring all businesses that produce over 5kg of food waste per week to recycle it, but this is still to come in England.
“However, with an increasing focus on green sustainability, forward-thinking businesses in England are already making better choices with their food waste management.
“Our new fleet of collection trucks puts us in an ideal position to expand our services and capitalise on the opportunities when new legislation comes into force in the next few years.”
Organic waste
Currently processing more than 100,000 tonnes of organic waste each year, Keenan turns food waste into premium grade compost or biofuel.
The biofuel is used to generate electricity at numerous anaerobic digestion plants across the north of England and Scotland, including Wardley Biogas (see letsrecycle.com story). Wardley Biogas is sited near Gateshead and run as a joint venture between GAP Organics, renewable energy funding provider Privilege Finance and renewable energy developer EOS DevCo.
Keenan says it has partnered with Suez to service a range of the French waste management company’s customers, including cafes, restaurants and hotels. In February Keenan agreed a five-year extension to its contract with Suez to treat Aberdeen’s household garden and food waste (see letsrecycle.com story).
Trucks
Keenan’s new fleet is equipped with a bespoke configuration including individual bin weighing, slave bin for caddy and bag uplifts, and RFID technology that allows customers to track when their bin has been uplifted.
“Health and safety and customer service are a priority for us at Keenan Recycling”
The Macpac trucks are also equipped with five-camera live streaming, an in-cab camera, driver behaviour telematics, reversing radar and a cyclear system. Keenan says this will help the vehicles maintain the company’s stringent health and safety and customer service standards.
Ms Keenan said: “Health and safety and customer service are a priority for us at Keenan Recycling and this investment in new equipment and technology will raise the bar in standards for waste collections.”
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