Advetec’s Takeaway From The RDF Conference 2024? Innovate Without Delay!
The RDF Conference took place last week. Billed as one of the must-attend events for those in RDF, SRF and Energy from Waste (EfW) sectors and attended by the who’s who of waste experts, the event provoked a wide range of discussion on the industry’s most pertinent issues.
Chief Executive Officer, Lee Knott, Chief Strategic Development Officer Dr Stephen Wise and Marketing Manager Loira Browning flew the flag for Advetec at the one-day event – with Dr Stephen taking to the stage and fielding questions as one of the expert voices.
Here are our key takeaways from the event.
The most prevalent theme was the need to get ahead of change due to the complexity of legislative change on the horizon. We’ve echoed this message in several recent blogs, which you can read here.
Talking about what the sector needs to do to decarbonise in particular, Jennifer Brown, Net Zero, Associate Director at Grant Thornton, highlighted the 6 million tonnes of biodegradable waste that still go to landfill each year and the amount of methane this creates.
We’re also keen to highlight this message, especially as there is a far better way to treat this waste. Our biotechnology solution removes methane from non-recyclable waste by eating the organic matter and turning it into a commodity called SRF. This can help other sectors, such as cement manufacture, decarbonise. Jennifer stressed the importance of being prepared for looming changes during her talk. She said, “The more long-term planning those organisations can do, the better.”
Charlotte Rule, Head of Climate and Energy Policy at the Environmental Services Association (ESA) used her time on stage to discuss the inclusion of EfW in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and the ban on biodegradable waste going to landfills in 2028. She also urged the audience to consider different methods of decarbonisation.
Advetec’s Dr Stephen Wise took to the stage for his session on biotechnology for SRF production, where he introduced our technology and showcased its uptake with waste handlers and producers across the UK. He explained how biotechnology can help waste handlers stabilise costs, reduce reliance on traditional disposal methods, lower emissions and unlock new revenue streams on-site.
He cited greater SRF production as the single biggest opportunity in the waste industry next year. Dr Wise also explained that once waste has been turned into SRF, it can open up even more possibilities, such as being turned into hydrogen to power cars and trucks, oils and chemicals, used as fuel, or further segregated by removing the plastics (which are now clean) and sending them for recycling.
Director of RDF collection business Andusia, Mark Terrell, discussed the longstanding challenge of removing plastics from residual waste. He said it’s complicated and expensive, and there is ‘no market for dirty plastics’. He expects recycling rates to remain unchanged in the coming years, which suggests that more straightforward and consistent recycling practices are needed across the UK.
Andrea Dobson, the Technical Manager at recycling and resource recovery provider Enva, used her time on the stage to give the industry’s smaller waste handlers a much-needed voice. She highlighted the plight of those more vulnerable to legislative change, stressing that the industry can’t afford to lose them and that “new entrepreneurial ideas need to be encouraged.”
With the need to look at things differently, embrace innovation and plan now for the landslide of change ahead all coming through as strong messages from the day, the event left the Advetec team buoyed about the appetite for change in the industry.
Our marketing manager, Loira Browning, was in the audience. She said: “Everyone in the room understands the scale of change on the horizon, and there was a real appetite to listen, learn and find new ways of doing things. Greater uptake of innovation is critical for every part of the waste sector.
“Faced with rising operational costs, labour shortage, taxes and lack of infrastructure, waste handlers urgently need financial certainty and a realistic alternative that protects the future of their business and that of their customers. Biotechnology can help deliver that certainty. I came away from the event informed, enthused and ready to help waste handlers make the changes they need to thrive.”