INVENTIONS that could stop plastic entering the sea or retrieve it from the water are to receive a £1m development boost from the Scottish Government.

Environment secretary Roseanna Cunningham said a £500,000 fund proposed last month had been doubled to support the “capture, collection and recovery” of marine plastic.

The cash includes funding for companies to trial technologies to remove plastics from waters around Scotland and combat “litter sinks”.

Litter sinks are where global waste accumulates through a combination of wind and tide.

There are several around Scotland’s west coast, including Arrochar on Loch Long.

Speaking at the Scottish Resources Conference, Ms Cunningham said: “

Investment of this nature has the potential to benefit our environment, economy and our coastlines which suffer from the unintended consequences of modern day lifestyle choices.”

Iain Gulland, Chief Executive of Zero Waste Scotland, which will administer part of the fund, said: “Scotland’s marine environment is increasingly suffering from our throwaway habits, and very visibly when it comes to the proliferation of single-use plastics.

“These projects have the potential to benefit our environment, our economy and our coastlines.”