The RDF Export Industry Group has launched a report examining the legal, environmental and economic reasons for refuse derived fuel (RDF) export in the UK. The report suggests that if the 2.6m tonnes of RDF currently exported was processed domestically, it would contribute just 0.8% to total UK renewable electricity generation.
There has been a significant increase in the amount of UK waste being exported to the mainland of Europe as RDF since 2010. RDF exports from the UK have increased from just 0.01m tonnes in 2010 to 2.6m tonnes in 2014.
The rise in exports, and Defra’s response to its Call for Evidence on the RDF export market in England, prompted the creation of the RDF Group, which includes members from a number of major waste management contractors and operators, both from the UK and across Europe.