Calls for a joint effort to uphold waste streams.
The coronavirus is now creating challenges for waste industry players all over Europe. “The waste industry is part of society’s critical infrastructure and must not come to a standstill,” states Geminor CEO, Kjetil Vikingstad.
The outbreak of the COVID-19 is affecting large parts of society and is becoming a significant challenge for the waste industry in Europe. The consequences will be considerable if we fail to collect and treat all the waste we produce.
“Presently, we are in a force majeure situation, and everyone should take precautions to avoid spreading infection. Simultaneously, we have to keep the industry running to the best of our ability, so that we avoid the accumulation of waste in the logistics- and value chain. If waste is not collected, we will have consequences like increased risk of pests, fires or the spreading of diseases. This is a situation we must work actively to avoid,” encourages Vikingstad all industry players to implement a contingency plan in order to deal with market challenges in the months to come.
Finding solutions
Being an international waste management company, Geminor follows the waste industry closely all over Europe and is now in dialogue with waste producers, offtakers, transporters and authorities. The ambition is to find solutions to ensure continuity of waste disposal services and storage capacity for waste fuels in the months to come.
“We recommend all industry players to keep up production to the best of their ability. The coronavirus will limit transport across boarder and is likely to have an impact on storage, logistics and offtaker capacity. This will most likely have financial consequences for many companies. Flexibility, innovation and the ability to find smart, short-term solutions will be important for the industry in the time to come,” concludes Vikingstad.
Source: Geminor
