Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead has opened a new glass processing plant in Midlothian.

The £5m facility, which has been described as 'revolutionary', has the capacity to process a quarter of Scotland's recycled glass.

The Dryden Aqua plant in Bonnyrigg uses recycled glass to create a ground-breaking water filtration system capable of targeting and removing waterborne parasites and pollutants. It can be used to filter drinking water, treat industrial waste water and in swimming pool filtration with the potential to generate significant savings for the water industry.

Mr Lochhead said: "This is a revolutionary system from Dryden Aqua which exemplifies the technological and environmental expertise that Scotland is famous for. It is also a major investment in Scotland's green credentials and places us at the forefront of the move towards a zero waste nation.


"This is a great example of upcycling where we create something of higher value than the original substance. This technology can be used in developing countries to ensure cleaner, healthier water for all, showcasing the global reach and importance of Scottish innovation, which is a key element of the Hydro Nation agenda.

"We want to support innovation and it is one of the reasons I recently announced a review into the feasibility of a national deposit and return scheme for glass and other packaging.

"Our long term goal is for Scotland to become a more circular economy where we eliminate waste by designing products in a way where they can be re-used over and over again.

"This move to a circular economy will grow our green economy and open the potential for an estimated 5,000 new jobs to turn the things we recycle back into valuable materials for manufacturing."

(JP/IT)