In an unusually strongly worded statement, the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced Mr Meacher's “anger at the
failure of a major player in the packaging compliance industry to
meet its recovery and recycling obligations under the Packaging
Regulations.”
Warning
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) today announced
that Wastepack had failed to take “reasonable steps” to fulfil its
recovery and recycling obligations in 2001 and is issuing a formal
warning notice.
DEFRA noted that “Wastepack had been required to carry out recovery of 415,000 tonnes
of packaging waste, which is the total of its members' obligations,
and demonstrate compliance with this obligation to SEPA. It
discharged only 180,000 tonnes of its recovery obligation, leaving a
shortfall of 240,000 tonnes.”
Wastepack is a packaging compliance scheme registered with SEPA
under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste)
Regulations 1997 (as amended).
Angry
Mr Meacher said: “I am angry at anything that detracts from the UK's recovery and recycling performance and I am particularly angry that one of the largest compliance schemes should have underperformed so
dramatically.
“I understand that SEPA has taken the view that it will not cancel
the scheme's registration but that Scottish Ministers will now
consider whether their approval of the scheme should be withdrawn.”
“Other compliance schemes and most individually-registered businesses
obligated under the Regulations have produced a significant increase
in the UK's packaging waste recycling performance, allowing the UK to
move from about 30% recovery in 1997 to around 50% in
2001.
“Last year, in particular, saw an excellent performance by other
businesses and schemes. I congratulate all of those who have
fulfilled their recovery and recycling obligations and contributed to
the UK's Packaging Waste Directive obligations. As a result of this non-compliance by one of the UK's largest schemes, I will look at the Regulations and discuss these with my colleagues in the National Assembly for Wales and the Scottish Executive to see whether there are any changes needed to ensure that our unique system can operate effectively and deliver the UK targets.”
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