Meet the fleet: Winning names of new waste collection vehicles are announced

Over the summer, residents were invited to submit name ideas for the Shared Waste Service’s vehicles, and the response was huge. From puns to pop culture references, the chosen names reflect the community’s wit and creativity, bringing some fun to the essential services of recycling and waste management.

The final names were selected by a panel including councillors, members of the waste team and crews from Veolia that use the vehicles. 

Councillor Amy Allen, Executive Member for Environment at North Herts Council, said: “This light-hearted project helps shine a spotlight on the really important work our waste crews do day in, day out. Giving the vehicles memorable names makes them more visible and helps start conversations about recycling, sustainability, and the future of waste collection.

Councillor Tim Hoskin, Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability at East Herts Council, added: “We received more than 700 entries, so it was brilliant to have so many people get involved and share in the fun. It really shows how much pride our residents take in their local services. Congratulations to everyone whose names were chosen – your ideas will now be seen out and about across our towns and villages every day.”

Tom, who drives one of the collection vehicles, said: “It’s great fun seeing the new names on our trucks – they’ve already raised a few smiles from residents on our rounds. We work hard to keep the streets clean and collect everyone’s recycling, so it’s nice to know the community is supporting us in such a creative way.”

Ilana Shaw, Divisional Head of Municipal Operations, Veolia UK said: “The vehicle naming competition has been a great way to engage residents across East and North Hertfordshire in the new recycling service, and in particular in the east of the county where they have a new service to recycle food waste at home. I would like to thank residents for using the services and encourage them to keep up the good work which is contributing to the circular economy and helping us to build a more sustainable future for everyone.”

Residents should be able to spot the new names already as the vehicles continue their rounds. As part of this roll out, the service will also see four new electric bikes joining the fleet, to give crews easier access into town centres to empty public litter bins and keep the streets clean.

So, keep an eye out for “Bin Affleck”, “Kate Binslet” and “Optimus Grime”– just a few of the winning entries that will now be part of our daily rounds. 

Full list of winning names: