Horse Nation shared this very cool USA Today story about a team of Percherons that assist with green trash pickup in Bristol, Vt. For 17 years, Patrick Palmer has driven his team of Percherons through the village to pick up trash every Friday, charging $5 per bag of trash and picking up recyclables for free.
The nine-mile, horse-powered route in Bristol has 250 customers. It takes four hours. Palmer reckons he saves 11 to 12 gallons of fuel each Friday by using horse power. “The stop-and-go traffic with those big trucks, I don’t think they get over a mile a gallon,” Palmer says.
Palmer said he started the trash route in order to help fund the care of the horses and the upkeep of their 55-acre farm. The chinchillas give two thumbs up for a clever idea that’s also good for the environment.
