Fuel-efficient driving in the context of urban waste-collection: A Spanish case study

Abstract

While diesel use represents one of the most important costs of the waste-collection process, the impact of eco-driving practices in this context has been surprisingly little addressed so far. Here, we present the results obtained by implementing eco-driving through the installation of in-board driving-assistance devices in a Spanish waste-collection fleet. Driving parameters and diesel use were monitored for over a year on 67 vehicles. An average fuel consumption decrease of 7.45% was observed, ranging from 1.86% to 11.50% according to the type of vehicle and to its waste-collection mechanism. Waste-transfer trucks that were not performing stop-and-go cycles displayed the highest values of fuel savings. In addition, eco-driving benefits obtained through real-time feedback did not tend to get lost over time, as fuel consumption remained remarkably steady. An average difference of only −0.45% between the first and the last month of monitoring was observed. After 14 months, an economic and environmental assessment of eco-driving implementation in the fleet was carried out. Nearly 120,000 L of diesel were economized, leading to substantial financial savings and to a significant exhaust emission decrease that was theoretically quantified in terms of CO2, CO, HC, NOx and PM. Overall, our results tend to show a highly positive environmental and economic impact of fuel-efficient driving in the waste-collection context.