RENTON, WA -- Waste Management is now servicing the city of Renton, Wash., with 19 new trucks powered by compressed natural gas for a smaller carbon footprint.

The trucks provide various environmental benefits for Renton, including 23 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions. The engines also run quieter than traditional diesel engines, resulting in less noise in neighborhoods and business districts.

Renton Mayor Denis Law and Rob Sherman of Waste Management officially christened the clean air trucks on June 6 at an outdoor celebration at IKEA in Renton. IKEA is a Waste Management customer and is recognized as a global sustainability leader.

“This initiative with Waste Management is really all about cleaner air and quieter streets,” Law said. “It is another opportunity to improve the quality of life for Renton citizens, and an important step forward for this community’s sustainable future.”

Waste Management operates the world’s largest fleet of heavy-duty trucks powered by clean-burning natural gas. In the Puget Sound region, WM operates clean air trucks in Renton and Seattle, and will soon launch the cleaner, quieter trucks in the cities of Kirkland, Auburn and Federal Way.

Renton’s new trucks are also green-certified by Evergreen Fleets, a program of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency and the Puget Sound Clean Cities Coalition. Certification recognizes smart and efficient fleet management policies that deliver environmental benefits. The WM fleet is the first heavy-duty fleet in the region to earn this certification.

Craig Kenworthy, executive director of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, spoke at June 6 event to explain why Evergreen Fleet certification is important for Renton.

“Achieving Evergreen Fleets certification is a rigorous process that requires a company to go above and beyond to implement a long list of preventative maintenance and emission-reducing practices,” Kenworthy said. “Waste Management’s certification is important to Renton and to the Puget Sound region because it will result in cleaner air and more livable communities.”