CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Five new biodiesel-powered leaf loaders are making this fall’s leaf collection a little greener in Chapel Hill. 

Discuss This Story

 

The leaf loaders are just the latest environmentally-friendly equipment purchased under the town's "Green Fleets" Policy.

 

"The town of Chapel Hill has always tried to be progressive and proactive in reducing carbon emissions and our carbon footprint," said Barry Lowry, fleet program manager.

 

Just this fall, the town purchased biodiesel-powered leaf loaders, a liquid propane lawn mower, and seven new police cars are now running on Ethanol-85. Lowry said even all that is just a small part of a much larger effort the town started in 2005.

 

"It's been a goal and policy to try to reduce our emissions by five percent by the end of 2008," said Lowry.

 

Currently, about 60 percent of the towns vehicles use some form of alternative fuel. Lowry hopes within the next five years, it will be up to 100 percent.

 

Lowry said making these green changes can be expensive. For example, the propane-powered lawn mower costs $14,000 whereas the gas-powered kind is only about $9,000.

 

But with this go green project, it's not necessarily about saving money in the short run or making vehicles run more efficiently.

 

"But what we always set out to do is make sure it (the vehicles) runs more cleanly," said Lowry. "And that's definitely what we've accomplished in using different types of alternative fuels."