RDF Industry Group

What RDF Industry Group does

The RDF Industry Group is a pan-European trade association founded in 2015 and headquartered in London, representing approximately 40 member companies across the waste-derived fuel (WDF) supply chain — covering refuse-derived fuel (RDF) and solid recovered fuel (SRF) producers, shippers, transporters, testers, and energy-from-waste (EfW) facility operators across more than 23 European countries. Its operational remit focuses on three collective functions: addressing cross-border movement of waste-derived fuels within Europe; developing evidence-based information on the legal, environmental, and economic issues surrounding WDF export; and communicating industry positions to governments, the European Commission, and other stakeholders via reports, briefings, and conference engagement. The Group's most significant intellectual asset is its Code of Practice, first launched at the UK House of Commons in October 2017 in partnership with the All-Party Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group, which establishes self-regulatory standards for the UK RDF market — reporting 100% member compliance with no red breaches in its 2024 reporting cycle.

The Group is not a commercial enterprise; its legal entity is Rooted Environmental Limited (registered in England & Wales under company number 16086552), which provides secretariat services having taken over from Eunomia Research & Consulting in 2022. The secretariat is staffed by 1–10 personnel based at 27 Mortimer Street, London. The Group is governed by elected leadership — currently Chair Andy Jones (Managing Director, Totus Environmental) and Vice Chair Adrian Irvine (WTE BD Manager, Re-Gen), both re-elected for 2024 — with Robert Corijn (Attero) having previously served as Chair from 2018 through 2023. Notable strategic partners include Eunomia, Footprint Services (for tri-annual market data), CEWEP, NAWDO, the UK Environment Agency, Eurostat, Prognos AG, and KPMG.

The Group's revenue model is straightforward membership-based subscription income from its 40 corporate members, which include major waste operators such as Biffa (UK's largest waste manager; ~570,000 tpa RDF exports), Veolia, Twence, Attero, Herambiente (6.6 Mtpa across 90 plants), AEB Amsterdam (1.4 Mtpa), HVC (1 Mtpa capacity), Oakleaf Recycling (200,000+ tpa SRF), ENVA, Brüning Group, Glanway, and Ellgia. Membership has expanded from 31 organisations in 2019 to 40 by 2024, supplemented by an affiliate membership scheme launched in 2021 to capture supply-chain participants outside the core WDF producers/operators.

Name

RDF Industry Group

Legal name

Rooted Environmental Limited

Website

https://rdfindustrygroup.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

RDF Industry Group is a London-based pan-European trade association, founded 2015, representing 40 member companies across the waste-derived fuel supply chain — including producers, shippers, transporters, and energy-from-waste operators — providing policy advocacy, a Code of Practice, and cross-border WDF networking.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association / Waste Management Industry Advocacy

NAICS

Solid Waste Combustors and Incinerators (562213), Waste Management and Remediation Services (562)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) Production & Co-processing (Cement Kilns/Industrial Furnaces) (EUAIACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) Production & Co-processing (Cement Kilns/Industrial) (BPALACAE), Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) Production & Combustion (C&D/MSW-derived) (EUAAAKAB), Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF/SRF) Power Generation (EUACAIAB)

Keywords

• Waste-derived fuel association
• Refuse derived fuel trade
• Solid recovered fuel industry
• Energy-from-waste advocacy
• Waste management policy

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Trade association funded by member dues from companies across the WDF supply chain including WDF producers, shippers, transporters, testers, and energy-from-waste facility operators

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The RDF Industry Group operates as a pan-European trade association representing 40 member companies across the waste-derived fuel (WDF) supply chain, including producers of refuse derived fuel (RDF) and solid recovered fuel (SRF), shippers, transporters, testers, and energy-from-waste facility operators. The Group collectively advocates on cross-border waste movement issues, develops evidence-based information on legal, environmental and economic issues, and maintains an industry Code of Practice. Membership is funded through annual dues from member companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Industry Association Membership
• Code of Practice for RDF/SRF Industry
• Affiliate Membership Scheme
• WDF Market Data Service (via Footprint Services)

Quantifiable outcome

• 10.46 million tonnes CO2e emissions avoided annually through intra-European WDF trade (2023)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CEWEP (Confederation of European Waste-to-Energy Plants)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported RDF Industry Group's call for RDF exports to continue unhindered post-Brexit. CEWEP represents energy-from-waste plants across Europe and shares aligned interests in maintaining cross-border WDF trade for environmental benefit.
• NAWDO (National Association of Waste Disposal Officers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAWDO is the primary network for senior waste managers at local authorities. RDF Industry Group presented its Code of Practice to NAWDO and collaborates on industry standards and policy matters.
• Eunomia Research & ConsultingcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerActs as secretariat to the RDF Industry Group. Prepared the original Code of Practice (2017) and subsequent evidence papers including 'The Role of Waste Derived Fuel in the EU's Energy and Resources Transition'.
• All-Party Parliamentary Sustainable Resource GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted the launch of the RDF Industry Group's Code of Practice in 2017 at the House of Commons. Baroness Jones of Whitchurch opened the launch event.
• Prognos AGcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvided lifecycle assessment evidence and CO2 reduction assumptions used in RDF Industry Group's analysis of WDF trade emissions avoidance. Study 'CO2 Reduction Potential in European Waste Management' (2022).
• EurostatcoreTechnology or IntegrationSource of waste shipment tonnage data used in RDF Industry Group's 2023 emissions avoidance analysis.
• Footprint Services (Andrew Gadd)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides in-depth market data to RDF Industry Group members three times a year including market growth trends, long-term projections, market share data, consignee reporting, destination analysis, exporter rankings, and top growth outlets.
• Environment Agency (UK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with RDF Industry Group on Fire Prevention Plan guidance specific to residual waste and RDF. Provided consultation input on Code of Practice development.
• KPMGminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvided advice on EU customs processes that helped RDF Industry Group members develop pragmatic approach to declaring RDF shipments at EUR 1 value for customs clearance post-Brexit.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Eunomia Research & Consulting: Environmental consultancy that originally authored the RDFIG Code of Practice and served as secretariat before Rooted Environmental. Comparable as a long-standing RDFIG partner and policy evidence provider shaping the Group's advocacy outputs.
• WRAP — Waste and Resources Action Programme: UK climate-action NGO working on resource efficiency, recycling and the circular economy. Comparable as an adjacent sector body whose research and policy work on residual waste, recycling targets and landfill diversion directly influences the policy environment RDFIG operates in.

Emerging players

• European Biogas Association (EBA): Brussels-based association representing the biogas and biomethane industry. Comparable as an EU bioenergy industry body engaged in overlapping climate, ETS and renewable energy policy work relevant to RDF/SRF and EfW.
• Bioenergy Europe: Pan-European association covering biomass, biogas and bioenergy value chains. Comparable as a bioenergy sector advocacy body addressing overlapping renewable energy policy, sustainability criteria and feedstock standards that intersect with RDF/SRF.
• WEEE Forum: European association of Producer Responsibility Organisations for waste electrical and electronic equipment. Comparable as a Brussels-based sector trade body operating in adjacent cross-border waste streams and engaging the European Commission on related regulations.

Direct peers

• ESA — Environmental Services Association: UK trade association for the wider environmental services and resource management sector. Directly comparable as a UK-based industry body; members include Veolia, Biffa and other major RDFIG members, and the two bodies interact on UK landfill tax and waste policy.
• NAWDO — National Association of Waste Disposal Officers: UK network for senior waste managers at local authorities. Directly comparable as a UK waste-sector professional body; RDFIG has formally presented its Code of Practice to NAWDO and collaborates on standards and policy matters.
• ISWA — International Solid Waste Association: Global waste management association with working groups on RDF/SRF and EfW. Directly comparable as a sector trade association addressing overlapping policy, standards and cross-border issues; both bodies participate in EU policy consultations on waste and circular economy.
• FEAD — European Federation of Waste Management and Environmental Services: EU-level trade federation representing national waste management associations and private operators. Directly comparable as a pan-European waste management industry body; members include many of the same RDF/SRF producers and waste companies that RDFIG represents.
• CEWEP — Confederation of European Waste-to-Energy Plants: Brussels-based European association representing EfW plant operators. Directly comparable as an EfW sector trade body; CEWEP actively partners with RDFIG and shares overlapping member companies (Twence, Attero, AEB Amsterdam, HVC, Herambiente).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about RDF Industry Group