Over £300k of enforcement undertakings issued by Environment Agency for packaging non-compliance
From December 2019 to May 2020, donations totalling over a considerable £300,000 have been made to environmental charities, due to multiple companies failing to fulfil their obligations under the packaging waste legislation
The packaging waste regulations exist to reduce the amount of packaging ending up in landfill and obligate companies (or group of companies) who:
- Have a turnover of over £2million
- Handle over 50 tonnes of packaging per year
The consequence for failing to meet this obligation is significant; every year the Environment Agency investigate non-compliant companies and issue fines based on the number of years they have been not been fulfilling their obligations and how proactive they are in addressing this offence.
A list of the enforcements is publicly published by the Environment Agency and the latest list includes retailer The Works who had been non-compliant for 6 years, so have paid £35,868 to the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. In addition, some other large figure fines were to pet care retailer Pets Corner who contributed over £25K to the Woodland Trust, as well as paint manufacturer Lechler Coatings who were fined over £31K which was donated to Keep Britain Tidy.
The latest full enforcement undertakings list can be accessed HERE
It is key that businesses take responsibility for the packaging they handle throughout their operations and fund its recycling, so to check if your company is obligated to comply and to minimise potential fines from the regulator, click here