Mussel money to help business go green
A shellfish company in Lerwick has received almost £50,000 of government funding to help it weigh and package mussels more sustainably.
Awarded by the Highlands and Islands Enterprise development agency today (Tuesday), the funds will help Seaspray (Shetland) buy a machine which weighs and bags mussels automatically.
The new kit will cut Seaspray's use of both electricity and plastic: bagging mussels 10 times as quickly as the current, separate, weighing and bagging machines.
At present, Seaspray buys individual plastic bags from China to package mussels. The new machine will cut bags to size from a single sheet of netting, reducing the businesses' plastic consumption by a third and saving the emissions from shipping bags around the world.
"In the current economic climate we need to invest in efficient processes, reduce environmental impacts and maintain a competitive edge in the marketplace," said Seaspray's owner, Gordon Johnson.
"We are extremely pleased to have the support of HIE to enable this project to proceed."