A factory that turns waste plastic into material for laying and resurfacing roads is officially opening a factory in southern Scotland, in Lockerbie.

Asphalt made in the Lockerbie company is used to make road surfaces. It contains a mix of granulated waste plastic, previously set for landfill, added as a binding agent in place of fossil fuel bitumen.

One tonne of mix made in the factories contains the around 80,000 plastic bottles – they say it could help turn the tide on ocean pollution.

Company CEO, TOBY MCCARTNEY, said the opening of this first ever factory is an important milestone in a mission to tackle two issues – plastic waste and potholed roads.

“Our technology means that we can not only help solve the problem of plastic waste but also produce roads that cope better with changes in the weather, reducing cracks and potholes.

“That’s because our roads are more flexible thanks to the properties of the plastic used in them, so although a MacRebur road looks the same as any other, it has improved strength and durability.

Waste technology also means there are no plastic microbeads present in the mix and we can even recycle the road at the end of its lifespan, creating a circular economy that is sustainable and cost effective.”