They say that nature abhors a vacuum, but right now anything to slow down or delay the onward transmission of the corona virus could be viewed as a good thing. Governments around the world have acted to fill that space and been reacting with different policies and at different timescales but with a common objective – delay, delay, delay. Like us all, Novelis considers itself a globally responsible citizen from its mission or purpose of ‘Shaping a Sustainable World’, through to our immediate actions to restrict travel and protect employees, visitors and their families. Longer-term measures need more thought (when there is precious little time to do so) and will vary from sector to sector. But, what is becoming increasingly clearer is the vital role that recycling (waste disposal) and food packaging supply chains play in sustaining the general fabric of life.
So, with the current world order of more isolated living, I sincerely hope that the public truly values the role of sustainable food supply chains and a robust waste management service. Something that perhaps, we already knew. I wouldn’t go so far as to describe myself as a ‘key worker’, but undoubtedly those working on the front line recycling and waste collection services and who will keep recycling plants operating to supply packaging production plants – rightly are. They say that people come together at a time of crisis, and ignoring the obvious irony, let’s hope that in the coming weeks and months we can keep our sector functioning to provide those essential services upon which so many unknowingly rely.
So let’s work together to stay safe, look after those that need our support and carry on recycling. It may not be the most important thing at the moment, but it is an important thing, something that serves an essential purpose and something that preserves an element of ‘life as normal’ for the millions of households LARAC members service.
