In an update published this week by the Environment Agency, it reported that a total of 19 companies, large and small, had agreed to make donations as enforcement undertakings for failing to comply with packaging waste regulations in the six months to March 2021.
Barclays Plc, the banking giant, agreed to pay £3,000 to the Marine Conservation Society and has now registered with the Biffpak compliance scheme as well as covering the agency’s costs and implementing a new data management system.
The largest amount donated under the enforcement undertaking schemes was from Walsh Mushrooms Ltd, which gave £54,880 to the Marine Conservation Society.
Permits
The Environment Agency also reported that seven companies in total failed to comply with environmental permit regulations between the 1 October 2020 to 31 March 2021.
European Metal Recycling (EMR) gave £80,000 to Groundwork North East for operating without an environmental permit for a waste operation. This related to a waste site at the Port of Tyne between June 2017 and August 2018.
The company was required to apply for an environmental permit and stop activities until it was received.
Compliance
Companies handling more than 50 tonnes of packaging waste and with a turnover of more than £2 million have obligations to comply with Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007.
Those who do not comply face possible court action, however when found to be in breach, the company can propose improvements to its operation and make an offer to the Environment Agency to compensate.
The undertakings scheme allows businesses to avoid possible court action and instead make voluntary donations if they have breached, or appear likely to have breached, environmental regulations.
Concerns have previously been expressed from some within the waste industry that money paid for recycling breaches goes to charities which, while good causes, are not relevant to recycling.
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