Lockdown started during an important phase of this start-up's technical development, so the leadership and staff had to adapt fast to continue their mission of accelerating the recycling of plastic.

Recycling Technologies applied its innovative thinking to the work day and introduced a mandatory focus time from 10am to noon, so tasks could be completed without interruption. The company switched to a new tech platform and held daily departmental team meetings to ensure everyone was on the same page.

RT is rolling out a product that turns hard-to-recycle waste such as bags and films into an oil, called Plaxx, which can be used to make new plastic. This circular economy promises a huge reduction in the amount of plastic buried, burnt or leaked into the environment each year – currently only 12% is recycled.

Swindon-based RT was founded 10 years ago by Adrian Griffiths, the chief executive. In line with its vision of a sustainable future, the company's values are: Try with Courage, Impact with Integrity and The Power of Team.

The CEO posted a weekly update during the pandemic and managers and staff reached out to five different colleagues each week, just for a chat about non-work life. The new High Five Shout Out channel gives employees a chance to thank other staff members for their efforts.

Social events moved online and new channels were set up, such as  “Who has got the popcorn?”, a book, film and TV discussion group.