Members of the Association for Organics Recycling (AfOR) have approved a merger with the Renewable Energy Association (REA), it was announced at an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) in London yesterday (4 September). In a statement released on AfOR’s website, Chairman Mike Orr expressed delight with the resounding support from members for the merger: "This vote which endorsed the view of the AfOR board is clearly a very positive step for the sector and will assist the interests of members." AfOR was set up in 1994, with the aim of working on behalf of its members to raise awareness of the recycling of biodegradable resources and relaying their interests to policy makers. The REA, meanwhile, represents professionals in the renewable energy industry, and it is hoped that the merger between the two not-for-profit groups will create a stronger and more influential presence in the industry – allowing greater pressure to be placed on government to work in the associations’ interests. An REA spokesperson told Resource that there would be no redundancies as a result of the merger, and that all of AfOR’s existing staff would move into REA’s new offices in London. The process of combining AfOR and the REA should be completed by the end of this year. Under the merger, AfOR’s Managing Director Jeremy Jacobs will become the REA’s Technical Director. AfOR’s certification activities for compost and biodegradable packaging will move to the REA’s wholly-owned subsidiary Renewable Energy Assurance Ltd (REAL), and AfOR’s training programmes will continue as part of the REA’s programme of training courses for members and non-members. AfOR’s technical enquiry service, meanwhile, will continue as the REA Organics Recycling Group. REA Chairman Martin Wright commented: "I am absolutely delighted with this move, which will strengthen the REA’s position as the leading trade association representing the UK’s renewables industry. "In particular, the scientific and technical expertise of the AfOR staff will greatly enhance REA’s advocacy on behalf of the organic waste-to-energy sector. It also makes strategic sense to house all organics certification activity under one roof." AfOR’s Managing Director and the REA’s new Technical Director Jeremy Jacobs added: "We chose to merge with the REA because many of our members are increasingly active in anaerobic digestion and the supply of renewable fuels. This move will therefore bring tangible benefits to existing members of both associations. In addition, our certification activity has natural synergies with the two existing biogas certification schemes run by the REA’s subsidiary company REAL."