On October 7-9, the Russian Environmental Forum, the largest industry event uniting the main players in solid municipal waste management, took place. 

The Forum was attended by industry experts and entrepreneurs. Among the top speakers of the forum were Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev, General Director of the Russian Ecological Operator Denis Butsaev, and Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation Ruslan Edelgeriev. The REF is organized by the Russian Environmental Operator.

Pavel Rudiakov, Chairman of the AEB WG on Waste Management and Nefiset Pshikanokova, Coordinator of the WG took part in the REF from the side of the Association of European Businesses. 

The main topics of the forum in 2024 are extended responsibility of EPR producers and new mechanisms of industry regulation, investment projects, green finance, standard setting in the field of solid waste management, digitalization of the industry and building a circular economy.

The Plenary Session also covered the main directions of work regarding the need to fulfil the national goals of the Russian Presidential Decree by 2030: 100% waste sorting and halving landfill disposal, as well as the trends of the international environmental agenda to combat plastic with reaching an international agreement on limiting its use.