CORONAVIRUS
From the front lines
Skip Hire & Waste Magazine talks to three companies across the waste sector to hear how they are withstanding the coronavirus crisis
WITH the UK – and many other countries besides – in effective lockdown in the face of a global pandemic, 2020 has delivered a situation which is, quite simply, unprecedented.
Yet the waste sector is a critical industry, vital for keeping the cogs of the country turning, and must adapt rather than put itself on pause.
We spoke to three businesses on the front lines who are battling on through trying times to keep the country’s waste properly processed.
SIMON WEBB MD of Tidy Planet
What impacts have you already felt from the current situation? The current
global pandemic is impacting organisations large and small across the globe. But, in terms of what’s changed so far here at Tidy Planet, we’re continuing to follow guidelines from the Government about social distancing, so we’re working from home and have all the phones set to divert to our mobiles.
Therefore, there’s no interruption in the daily communications we have with present and future clients.
Also, as we’re a global company, we’re used to speaking to customers and distributors all over the world via video call, so in this respect it really is ‘business as usual’ for us – until we’re told otherwise by the Government.
Regarding the demand for equipment, of course COVID-19 is having an impact on visible demand for equipment – with fewer new enquiries – but that’s because almost the whole world is at a standstill. It’s not that the need for food waste composting or Waste-to-Energy solutions has disappeared forever, but business owners are taking each day as it comes in a bid to find a new sense of normality, amid this social and economic crisis.
What is your reaction to the Government agreeing to pay up to 80% of workers’ wages? I think it’s fantastic. In times like these, it’s vital that governments and communities come together and support one another – and that’s exactly what the UK Government has done. Their response – in tandem with the pandemic itself – will go down in history. How do you see the industrial waste processing sector being affected in the short term? There’s no doubting that the commercial
and industrial waste sectors will be drastically impacted – from skip companies to wood recyclers – and with many large production plants ceasing operations, we’ll consequently witness a massive reduction in waste volumes.
Conversely, medical wastes will see a sharp increase. Last year, it was announced there was a shortage of high temperature clinical incinerators (HTIs), so this will undoubtedly present a difficult challenge for the industry.
PAUL L RENDLE-BARNES Director of Recycling, Indigo Environmental Ltd
What are the immediate market effects of the pandemic you have seen so far? Over the last few weeks, we’ve had several sectors feeding their additional plastic waste into our plants, due to high demand from our customers. We’re delighted to be able to aid the UK recycling community at a time of great uncertainty – and to ensure the whole process runs smoothly.
While the automotive field has slowed down over recent weeks – due to supplier shutdowns
There’s no doubting that the commercial and industrial waste sectors will be drastically impacted – from skip companies to wood recyclers – and with many large production plants ceasing operations, we’ll consequently witness a massive reduction in waste volumes."
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