Waste Industries will add 22 refuse and service trucks powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) to its fleet at its Wilmington, N.C. facility, and unveil the vehicles at a May 12 event.

The waste hauler is spending $7 million to add 21 collection vehicles and one service truck, along with a dual-compressor fueling system and shop upgrades, the company announced.

The implementation of the new CNG fleet will reduce Waste Industries' carbon footprint by lowering carbon monoxide emissions by approximately 77%, nitrogen oxide emissions by roughly 87%, particulate matter emissions by 95%, and cut greenhouses gases by over 20%, according to the company.

Waste Industries is a regional provider of non-hazardous solid waste collection, transfer, recycling, and disposal services. The company operates in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. Waste Industries currently has CNG operations in Wake, Durham, Wilson, Pitt, Greene, Brunswick Counties, totaling over 190 trucks.

This green project is an expansion of Waste Industries' existing campus. The company’s Wilmington Environmental Campus was completed in 2013 and, with the CNG conversion, represents over a $15 Million investment in the county.