Foreword by Tayside Waste Strategy Group Chair

I am very pleased to present the first ever Tayside Area Waste Plan. The Tayside Waste Strategy Area Group has been working hard since early 2000 to prepare a long-term, integrated plan for the management of waste in the Tayside area. This process has been carried out in consultation with a range of stakeholders and I would like to thank everyone involved for their constructive comments.

The plan presents us with a series of challenges by proposing a step change in the way we think about and handle our waste. First and foremost, we must find ways of reducing the amount of waste we produce. We must then consider the waste that we do produce as a potentially valuable resource. This means that we must reuse and recycle as much of this resource as possible. We must then get as much benefit as possible from the remaining waste before we finally resort to landfilling. These are the challenges that face us all.

This plan proposes a way forward for the next 20 years. However, for this to work – and work it must, we have to ensure that the strategic direction we are proposing is sensible and workable. There is no option other than to change the way we deal with our waste. I would encourage everyone in Tayside to rise to the challenges and play your part.

Colin Anderson
Chair, Tayside Waste Strategy Area Group