It’s official: The green-colored Waste Management trucks that collect recycling and waste across the Puget Sound region are now green certified.

Certification of the Waste Management fleet is an important first because no other heavy-duty fleet in the region has earned this distinction.

Certification is awarded through Evergreen Fleets, a program of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency and the Puget Sound Clean Cities Coalition that recognizes fleets for adopting smart and efficient fleet management policies.

For Waste Management, the certification recognizes the environmental benefits of the company’s regional fleet management program and its $41 million investment in clean air trucks and a public fueling station for compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles.

“Waste Management made a bold commitment to clean air in this region when we initiated our $41 million investment,” said Dean Kattler, area vice president, Waste Management-Pacific Northwest. “Evergreen certification confirms that Waste Management is part of the clean air solution as we partner with Puget Sound communities to help the region strengthen its world class sustainability leadership.”

To earn Evergreen certification, fleets must demonstrate achievements in different categories of environmental performance, which include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, adopting alternative fuels such as CNG, and implementing other innovative practices to improve overall fleet efficiency. In certifying the WM fleet, Evergreen specifically recognized the benefits of the company’s new CNG trucks in addition to WM’s industry leading preventative maintenance and emission-reducing practices.

As an example, auditors credited WM for best practices related to idle time and route efficiencies. Waste Management has a five-minute limit for engine idling. After five minutes, the engine turns off to reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. The company also requires ongoing adjustments to improve truck route efficiencies, reducing drive time on city streets and greenhouse gas emissions.

The company began transitioning its fleet to CNG in 2009. Waste Management operates more than 120 clean air CNG trucks in the region. Heavy-duty CNG engines allow the new WM trucks to run cleaner than diesel trucks, resulting in a 23 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a significant reduction in the use of petroleum fuels.