First B20 bus put to bed

In the US, the state of New Jersey's first biodiesel-powered school bus has hit the sack, after being retired in June at the end of the 2010/2011 school year.

The bus, which could be nation's first to run on a blend of 20% biodiesel (B20), had been in operation since 1998, during which time it consumed more than 28,000 gallons of biodiesel.

'Similar to the biodiesel industry, the bus certainly bears the marks of travelling a long and difficult path and weathering a number of storms,' says Joe Biluck, director of operations and technology for the Medford Township Public School district. 'The industry has made monumental strides over the past 13 years. Since then, thousands of public and private fleets have made the switch to biodiesel blends in an effort to lessen their environmental impact.'