A Dutch paper recycling firm which is said to trade extensively with the UK, has been raided by Dutch Police as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged illegal shipments of waste to the Far East.
The company, which was not named directly by the Dutch authorities for legal reasons, but has been identified widely throughout the Dutch media as Peute Recycling BV, subsequently released a statement strenuously denying the allegations andadding that its operations are fully compliant with legislative requirements.
On Tuesday (January 29) it was revealed by the Public Prosecutors Office (Openbaar Ministerie) that the raids had been carried out by the Rotterdam Police Environmental Team as part of an investigation into alleged fraud and illegal trans-border waste shipments from Europe to Asia.
Openbaar Ministerie claimed that the company had allegedly imported paper and plastic waste from within Europe and exported the material to China, Malaysia and Taiwan, claiming that the waste was fit for recycling, when in fact it contained non-recyclable waste.
The waste shipments, which are alleged to have taken place between 2011 and 2012, are said to have made the company several millions of Euros. It is thought that the investigation could last several months.
Fully compliant
But, in a statement released shortly after the raid, Peute said it was unpleasantly surprised by the allegations, claiming that it was fully compliant with the law regarding the transboundary movement of waste.
The statement read: We are transparent at all levels and have fully co-operated. The accusations by the Justice Department are unfair and unfounded.
We are completely familiar with the European regulations related to processing and transport of paper and plastic destined for re-use. We are convinced that we fully comply with all rules at all times. The message by the Justice department states that the investigation is focused on the composition of the goods flows.
It added: Peute Recycling is a reliable organisation with an excellent reputation and one of the largest recycling companies in Europe. It is an established fact that Peute Recycling never had any problems with the nature and the composition of its material flows in the past fifty two years. We therefore are very saddened that the Justice department draws a negative image of our activities without any prior investigation.
UK recyclers
It is thought that the Dutch situation will be of interest to UK-based recyclers, as Peute is known to purchase material from a number of firms in the UK.
Adrian Jackson, president of the Recycling Association, the trade body representing recyclers of paper and other dry recyclables in the UK, said that he was very concerned by the developments.
Speaking to letsrecycle.com, he said: I am concerned with the news because Peute are a very big trading and operating company. I know them quite well and I am very surprised, whenever I have seen their operation I have not seen anything untoward. They trade extensively in the UK and there will be people who are concerned about the news.
The Public Prosecutors Office would not confirm whether any of the waste implicated in the investigation had originated in the UK, but said that waste from several European countries was involved. Peute is known also to trade with firms in Germany, France and Ireland.
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