Morocco halts further imports of RDF

Morocco has suspended imports of European waste to be incinerated for energy after a spate of protests by environmental activists.

The controversy broke out last month when local media reported that cement firm Lafarge Maroc had imported 2500t of Italian refuse-derived fuel (RDF) to burn as alternative fuel. Morocco produces huge amounts of waste itself but has no system of sorting and recycling it, prompting cement plants to import RDF, mainly from the European Union, to run incinerators.

Officials have taken action though in stopping any further imports. "We have decided to suspend all imports of trash [RDF] and to not use the shipment already imported pending the results of an investigation," Mustapha Khalfi, the communication minister and government spokesman.