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usage and minimize air pollution. Low-toxic and bio-based automotive products minimize hazardous waste output. All of these strategies create a safe, healthy workplace for county fleet employees.
Green Fleet Initiatives
The “greening” of the county vehicle fleet is an ongoing process. New products, processes, and technologies are continuously evaluated by the Green Fleet Stakeholder Team.
Hybrid Vehicles: Sarasota County is committed to purchasing fuel-efficient hybrid gas-electric vehicles such as the Toyota Prius and Ford Escape. Hybrids are the most economical low emissions vehicles available. The new hybrid vehicles not only save taxpayer money, but they serve a learning tool to introduce alternative vehicles to the community.
Rightsizing Vehicles: A policy has been created that requires all new vehicles or replacements ordered that are above the lowest base models to justify their increased size, payload, towing capacity, or other enhanced features. The acquisition of a vehicle that is above the base model standards must be tied to the job function of the primary user and have management approval.
Reclaiming Underutilized Vehicles: Fleet is pursuing ways to reclaim underutilized vehicles that are a drain on taxpayer dollars and the environment.
Biodiesel: Sarasota County is investigating biodiesel, a diesel fuel made from soybean oil, as a fuel alternative for county buses and heavy-duty vehicles. Biodiesel works in any diesel engine with few to no modifications and reduces pollutants and particulate matter by up to 30%. This renewable, low-toxic fuel is a safe and healthy alternative to "dirty" petroleum diesel.
Extensive research is being done to determine the suitability of biodiesel for Sarasota County Fleet vehicles. Based on this resource, it was decided that soybean based B20 was the most suitable version of biodiesel for this application. Read more about Sustainable Sarasota's Biodiesel Research
Biologically based fluids and lubricants: Sarasota County is considering substituting biologically based fluids and lubricants for petroleum based products. While bio-based products have a higher initial cost, their life-cycle costs are equivalent to or less than petroleum products due to easier disposal and reduced risks. Bio-based fluids will also reduce our dependence on foreign oil and reduce the risk of an environmental disaster resulting from spillage, as these fluids and lubricants are completely biodegradable. Some companies and other advocates claim that bio-based products improve performance and increase the lifetime of vehicle and equipment components.
Retread Tires: Retreaded tires were investigated as an option for greening Sarasota County’s fleet operations. Although retread tires greatly reduce the amount of waste generated and are in use across the country, it was found that they are not suitable for Sarasota’s hot and humid climate
Re-refined engine oil: Re-refined oil is held to the same stringent standards as virgin engine oil and will help to reduce the demand for foreign oil. Work needs to be done to locate a vendor and get specifications for this product to compare the price and performance against virgin engine oil.
Driver education: This program could result in economic and environmental benefits for Sarasota County fleet. Program areas include: fuel-efficient driving, efficient trip planning, carpooling, alternative transportation, reduction of idling, efficient use of air conditioning, load minimization, and proper tire inflation, among others. The increase in miles per gallon or reduction in miles traveled would reduce the demand for petroleum products, reduce emissions and save the County significant amounts of taxpayer dollars. The money saved by this program could possibly be used to finance other more costly elements of the green fleet program.
Green Fleet Links
Find resources on green fleet initiatives and links to other alternative transportation programs. |