Supporting the sector through connection, compliance and collaboration: North East Recycling Forum
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Genee is a B Corp certified environmental consultancy working with organisations across the North of England to improve environmental performance and embed meaningful sustainability practice into everyday operations.
Alongside our consultancy work, we are also proud
to support and manage the North East Recycling Forum (NERF), a long-established, informal and highly valued network for professionals working across waste, recycling, resources and environmental management in the region. Our Managing Director Jo Holmes has been involved in the development of NERF for over 20 years and remains, by her own admission, a self-confessed “waste geek”.
Over that time, one thing has become increasingly clear: while the waste and resource management sector plays a vital role in enabling wider environmental progress, it is equally important that we continue to lead by example in managing our own environmental impact.
A sector that enables sustainability must also demonstrate it
The waste and recycling sector sits at the heart of the circular economy. It helps other organisations reduce environmental impact, improve resource efficiency, and move towards net zero goals. However, this position also brings responsibility.
To maintain credibility and leadership, organisations within the sector must also be actively embedding sustainability into their own operations. This includes reducing emissions, improving resource efficiency, strengthening environmental management systems, and ensuring compliance with an evolving regulatory landscape.
At the same time, responsibility for waste and resource management does not sit solely within the sector itself. Organisations of all types, from manufacturers and housing providers to universities, healthcare estates and commercial businesses, are increasingly expected to understand, manage and reduce their own waste impacts.
This makes collaboration between waste professionals and those responsible for managing waste within their own organisations more important than ever.
Supporting continuous improvement through Investors in the Environment
For many organisations, whether operating within the waste sector or managing waste as part of wider operations, embedding sustainability in a structured and practical way can feel challenging.
Frameworks such as Investors in the Environment (iiE) provide a clear and accessible route to support this journey.
iiE helps organisations to:
develop and embed environmental management systems
measure and reduce environmental impacts
improve compliance and operational performance
demonstrate progress through recognised accreditation
For waste operators, this can help formalise existing good practice and demonstrate leadership. For organisations managing their own waste, it provides a structured way to improve performance, strengthen compliance, and meet growing expectations around environmental responsibility.
NERF: a space for practical learning, collaboration and challenge
NERF continues to play an important role in supporting this broader journey.
It is a friendly, informal and highly collaborative network that brings together not only waste and recycling professionals, but also those responsible for managing waste, resources and environmental performance within their own organisations. This includes local authorities, operators, consultants, academics, third sector organisations, and professionals working in estates, facilities and sustainability roles.
Each session provides an opportunity to share practical insight, discuss current challenges, and explore both regulatory developments and sector innovation.
One of the key strengths of the forum is the breadth of expertise in the room. This diversity consistently leads to valuable discussions, helping attendees to explore real-world challenges, ask difficult questions, and learn from the experiences of others across different parts of the system.
Alongside updates on legislation and policy, the forum highlights innovation and emerging practice, ensuring a balance between compliance, operational reality and forward-thinking development.
Launching our Sustainability Guide for the Waste Sector
At the upcoming forum on the 14th May at Bishop Auckland Town Hall, Genee will also be launching our new Sustainability Guide for the Waste Sector, which will be available as a free download for attendees.
The guide has been developed to support both organisations working within the waste sector and those responsible for managing waste within their own operations. It provides practical guidance on environmental management, operational improvement, and taking structured steps towards stronger sustainability performance.
It is designed to be accessible, practical and relevant across a wide range of organisations, particularly those looking to strengthen or formalise their approach to environmental management.
Jo said: “It has been a real privilege to be part of the North East Recycling Forum for so many years, and to see how it has evolved as new legislation and regulatory requirements have come into play.
We’re at a pivotal moment for the sector, with sustainability and carbon reduction becoming increasingly important drivers. There is a huge amount for organisations to adapt to, and forums like NERF provide a valuable space for colleagues from across the sector to come together, share knowledge and support one another.
As sustainability and the circular economy continue to rise up the agenda, we wanted to develop a practical guide to help organisations reflect on their own environmental impact and take meaningful steps forward.”
Looking ahead to May’s forum
The upcoming NERF session will include updates from the Environment Agency on DEFRA’s PFAs plan, alongside presentations from Newcastle University on recent innovation in waste and resource recovery, including developments in Teflon and textile recycling. We will also hear from REfUSE sharing insights from their award-winning Eat Smart Project, and Dr Anna Willetts discussing waste crime and the implications of recent legislative change.
As always, the focus will be on bringing people together to share knowledge, explore challenges and strengthen collaboration across the region.
An open invitation
We encourage organisations across all sectors, whether delivering waste services or managing waste within their own operations, to consider how they are addressing environmental impact and embedding sustainability into their practices.
Whether through structured frameworks such as Investors in the Environment, or through practical steps to improve day-to-day operations, there is a clear opportunity to strengthen performance and contribute to wider environmental goals.
We look forward to welcoming colleagues to Bishop Auckland in May, and to sharing our new Sustainability Guide with the sector.
You can book your free place at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1985989783905?aff=oddtdtcreator
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