I think we are through it? Are we? Aren't we? What's ahead?

Today, 19th June 2020 - the COVID risk level has been reduced from level 4 to level 3 - Great News.

The government had told many sectors to close from mid March. This has meant that we have had to suspend services to 550 customers, mainly pubs, clubs and restaurants. We have seen a 30% reduction in turnover and much less waste coming into our plant for recycling.

Drivers - A massive, huge thank you to all of our staff and in particular our front line drivers who have carried on with a smile on their faces. Those office staff that could work from home have done so, but many have been in the office to keep our business afloat and help us maintain collections for hospitals, food providers and all essential services.

Over the last few weeks the work is slowly returning to normal, more businesses opening. Even the pubs are opening for take away services. For many, this will be the final push to normality, going to the pub.

Did we miss the COVID in our part of Essex? Thankfully, our area does not seem to have been effected by this terrible disease. Essex Live, using the office of national statistics data, quoted that the least affected region in Essex is Maldon, with just 18 Corona Virus deaths per 100,000. So lets hope we can get back to normal asap.

Unemployment

We have had over 12 drivers giving us their CVs in the last 2 weeks. It seems that a lot of people have been made redundant already. Other waste industry leaders that I have spoken to have already cut staff, unfortunately, this maybe the biggest and most long term consequence of COVID 19.

My hope is that we can quickly bounce back as a country and keep the economy and the confidence building.

Getting rid of our residual waste has been no problem and because of a serious reduction in commercial waste being created the "burners" (waste to energy facilities) have been asking for more tonnage to help fill the void. This is only for a stop gap and I really believe that we need more UK waste infrastructure so that the UK deals with our own waste and we don't export as much to Europe and further afield. There was even a development for an Essex Waste to Energy plant that was given the green light by EA (Environmental Agency) this week, so this seems to be going in the right direction.

The market and prices for materials have tailed off a little, plastics falling around £20 - £30 per ton.

Cardboard has been on a roller-coaster from £10 /ton at Christmas to £150 per ton for 1 week during lockdown and now back to more realistic £60 / ton. The main reason for the huge rise was uncertainty of European stocks. The cardboard mills did not know where the next loads were coming from and raised the prices to guarantee supply. It was great for that week though!

Today, also, the RHA announced that MOT test for trucks will resume from early July. What will happen about the ones that have been missed though? Another COVID question. I foresee we will slowly get back to normal over the next few weeks and months, but will the economy? Unemployment? More people working from home?

On a positive note we have started building out new waste/plastic recycling centre, more news on that next time.

All the best

Robert