Displaying items by tag: RDF Industry Group

UK: The RDF Industry Group has re-elected Netherlands-based Attero marketing manager Robert Corijn as its chair for 2021. The term will be Corijn’s fourth in the position. Totus Environmental managing director Andy Jones takes on the role of vice chair for a second consecutive year.

Corijn said “Since first taking up the role of chair of the RDF Industry Group in 2018 there have been significant challenges that have affected the RDF industry, and 2020 was no different, having seen the roll-out of the Dutch import tax and the Covid-19 pandemic. We are also seeing some countries developing carbon taxes on waste treatment or other import restrictions. The RDF Industry Group is a strong believer in European cooperation – when we all work together, Europe can move much more waste up the waste hierarchy. Moving waste from landfill to recycling and to energy-from-waste provides a huge contribution to carbon savings. Carbon emissions do not know national borders, so our group will ask policy makers across Europe to consider a global perspective. The group has also played a vital role in information sharing and supporting our members, and I look forward to continuing to work together in 2021 as we see the waste-derived fuel industry develop, and as any new relationship between the UK and the European Union (EU) begins.”

UK: RDF Industry Group has convened a refuse-derived fuel (RDF) industry working group to meet on a fortnightly basis to discuss the sectoral impacts of coronavirus. The Group said that it ‘is working with competent authorities to ensure the free flow of RDF is maintained.’ It acknowledged that RDF supply is essential to European cement production, adding, “The flow of RDF from the UK to off-take facilities in Europe is continuing, with the industry overall functioning well.”

Netherlands/UK: The RDF Industry Group has criticised a new tax proposal by the Dutch government on waste imports as part of its National Climate Agreement. The government wants to impose a tariff of Euro32/t on imported refuse-derived fuel (RDF) from the start of January 2020. It also wants to add a CO₂ tax of Euro30/t on industrial emitters from the start of 2021. The group says that, whilst it welcomes moves towards reducing CO₂ emissions, it believes the proposed Dutch taxes, in their current form, will be counterproductive in achieving this goal.

“RDF export forms a vital and flexible part of the UK’s waste management system, supporting over 6800 additional jobs in the UK, and saving over 700,000 tonnes CO₂ emissions annually. The Netherlands is the largest importer of UK waste, receiving 1.3Mt of RDF from the UK in 2018, powering good quality, efficient treatment facilities, many of which utilise heat offtake as well as electricity. The introduction of an import tax risks more waste going to landfill in the UK each year, disregarding the waste hierarchy, worsening the environmental impact, increasing costs and putting jobs at risk. Furthermore, given the large proportion of waste to Dutch incinerators that comes from the UK, there is also a risk of plant closures, and job losses in the Netherlands,” said Robert Corijn, chair of the RDF Industry Group.

The RDF Industry Group says it has raised its concerns with Dutch Parliamentary representatives.