Scottish waste management stakeholders come together to address sector challenges

Black bin bags in disorderly pile interspersed with autumn leaves

A new partnership aims to help develop a residual waste strategy for Scotland and build capacity within the country’s waste management system. The initiative is hosting an event in Edinburgh on 14 November.

Andrew-Murdoch
Andrew Murdoch, Managing Director of J & M Murdoch and Son, and Chair of RMAS, is one of the key figures behind Resourcing Scotland.

Resourcing Scotland launched on 11 November, and says it will bring together leading Scottish waste management industry groups and the nation’s 32 local authorities. It will stage a one-day conference later this week focusing on the key issues facing the sector – including landfill capacity, recycling policy, and carbon reduction – and how these can be best addressed alongside specific Scottish and UK Government objectives.

Those involved in the Resourcing Scotland event include the Chartered Institution for Wastes Management (CIWM) Scotland, the Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA), Resource Management Association Scotland (RMAS), and Scottish Environmental Services Association (SESA), and the Local Authority Waste Managers Network representing the Scotland’s 32 local authorities.

The Resourcing Scotland conference will also include support from a broad range of waste management sector experts who will lead discussions and debate on some of the biggest challenges facing the industry. The information, analysis, and collective industry views from the event will be brought together in a White Paper which will be presented to the Scottish Government in early 2025.

Laura-Tainsh
Laura Tainsh will chair Resourcing Scotland’s conference on 14 November.

Taking place in Edinburgh on 14 November, the event will be chaired by Laura Tainsh, Chair of the Scotland Centre Council of the CIWM, who is a partner and environmental and waste management specialist with law firm Davidson Chalmers Stewart. She said: “Resourcing Scotland brings together key operators across Scotland’s waste and resource management sector to work collaboratively in addressing the significant challenges that the sector continues to deal with.

“With the Scottish Government currently developing its Residual Waste Plan, which will be rolled out over two decades, it’s vital for the sector to have its views articulated through a clear, collective voice to ensure we can help support this long-term strategy. At this week’s conference, we will have an opportunity to capture the views and concerns of those across the sector and share those directly with the Scottish Government.”

Andrew Murdoch, Managing Director of J & M Murdoch and Son, and Chair of RMAS, is another key figure behind Resourcing Scotland. He said: “As a waste management business leader operating at the coal face of the industry, I’m delighted to be involved with this new partnership. Resourcing Scotland has a key role to play in representing the industry’s views and ensuring that government objectives are developed in close collaboration with local authorities and private waste management operators.”

Resourcing Scotland’s conference takes place on Thursday 14th November at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh. More details can be found here