The chief executive of a pioneering Lockerbie recycling company is among the first group of environmental ambassadors chosen by the UK Government ahead of the Cop26 climate summit.
Toby McCartney of plastic roads company, MacRebur, has been appointed as a One Step Green ambassador – one of only 13 in the UK, of which two are Scots.
The dad-of-two from Eaglesfield will be encouraging people to follow in his green footsteps and play a part in tackling climate change.
The One Step Greener initiative plans to recruit a further 13 ambassadors ahead of Cop26 – with officials saying these 26 individuals will be “everyday climate leaders”.
Scottish Secretary, Alister Jack, described Mr McCartney as “an inspiration to us all” who had shown “ingenuity and determination to reduce plastic waste”.
MacRebur, named after founders Mr McCartney, Gordon Reid and Nick Burnett, opened its first factory in Lockerbie in 2019, creating 12 jobs.
It turns waste plastic destined for landfill, or incineration, into granules to be mixed with a secret formula activator – the MacRebur Mix – to bind it.
Then it is bagged ready to be distributed to asphalt producers to make roads and car parks.
The company’s products are used in countries around the world including America, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Turkey, Chile and South Africa.
In the UK, MacRebur technology has been used by household names including Tesco, Asda and Arla.
All the One Step Greener’ Ambassadors’ stories will be showcased at COP26.
Nominations are now being sought for other ambassadors who are making a big difference in the fight against climate change in their communities, and more information is available at http://together-for-our-planet.ukcop26.org/onestepgreener/.
