Waste and recycling businesses are today monitoring the situation at UK ports in the wake of France imposing a 48 hour ban on movements.
The French ban on people entering France from the UK because of the new strain of the coronavirus in south east England is already causing queues of trucks in Kent with the closure of the Port of Dover. Delays are said to be ongoing at the port of Felixstowe which handles a lot of RDF tonnage and recycling, although ships are leaving to cross the North Sea and to other destinations.
Industry reactions so far are of concern but measured, as a number of businesses have brought their Christmas and early New Year freight movements forward because of worries around the ending of the Brexit transition period on 1 January 2021.
Cocktail
Operation Stack is in place in Kent (picture: Shutterstock)_
Simon Ellin, chief executive of the Recycling Association, said: “We are very concerned and are watching the situation closely. We have now got a really heady cocktail of Brexit meeting Covid head on. Previously, they were swerving around each other.”
Dr Ellin explained that the Association’s trading arm, the IWPP, had worked to ensure its own December shipments were made by 18 December because of the Brexit situation on 1 January. “I expect many businesses will have forward sold but they will still see delays at Dover as concerning to industry,” he added.
RDF
The RDF (refuse derived fuel sector) has also reacted to the halting of vehicle movements at Dover and the delays elsewhere. Mike Brown of Eunomia, and chair of the RDF Industry Group, said: “Restrictions on freight hauliers entering France from the UK are causing disruptions across many industries – including RDF. It is our understanding that restrictions are currently being applied on accompanied freight – that is, freight being driven via haulier from the UK but not unaccompanied freight (bulk carriers and containers). We recommend that operators speak to their shipping lines and transport managers as a matter of urgency.”
Combination
Robert Corijn, chair of the RDF Industry Group and from Dutch energy from waste operator Attero, said: “I do think the combination of Brexit and further lockdowns and the French border being closed is of concern to RDF exporters. So far though the reduction in traffic is not too bad.”
Mr Corijn said that the situation would worsen if the number of empty loads leaving the UK was to reduce significantly. “One third of loads going out of the UK are usually empty and it is that capacity that is used for RDF and makes it economically viable. If there are many less trucks, the economics of RDF exports could be affected.”
He added that overall “everybody was anticipating that January will be a messy month”.
RDF exporters are hopeful that the situation does not worsen
ESA: ‘Mitigation measures’
The Environmental Services Association, which represents waste management companies, warned that RDF exports and recyclable materials could be impacted but that Brexit meant that businesses already had mitigation measures.
Head of regulation at the ESA, Sam Corp, said: “It is possible that some export activities for refuse-derived-fuels and recyclable materials could be affected by the new Covid border restrictions. Most shipments of these materials will be unaccompanied, but it is possible that the knock-on effect of congestion at certain ports could cause delays or disruption to waste activities.
“As such, we are liaising with our members to understand which routes and shipments are likely to be affected, but many of our members will already individually have appropriate mitigation strategies in place – since the sector has long been preparing for short-term port disruption associated with the end of the Brexit transition period and new trading arrangements. We are also liaising with Defra and the regulatory authorities to ensure that any necessary mitigation activity is covered within the relevant regulations, so material can continue to be put to best use.”
The post Sector watching as Dover closes to exporters appeared first on letsrecycle.com.
Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
