Ideal Waste thrilled as agency drops export case

Recycling firm Ideal Waste Paper Company Ltd, scrap exporter Newport CH International LLC (NCH) Ltd and NCHs UK director Gary Bowman were due to stand trial at Kingston Crown Court, Surrey, this morning after being accused of exporting household waste to China marked as paper for recycling.

The three defendants had been charged with allegedly breaching the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations for alleged offences reported to have taken place between March 11 and March 25 2009 (see letsrecycle.com story). The charges related to 29 containers containing around 800 tonnes of material.

However, the court presided over by His Honour Judge Jones, heard that the Crown would be offering no evidence. Consequently, the case was not proceeded with.

The Environment Agency, which brought the case against the three defendants, told letsrecycle.com that it was no longer in the public interest to proceed with the prosecution.

The Agency also said that it had agreed an out of court settlement with the three defendants.

In a formal statement, the Agency explained: The trial of Ideal Waste Paper Limited, NCH Limited and Gary Bowman is not continuing as it is no longer in the public interest to proceed with the prosecution. The Environment Agency and the defendants have agreed an out of court settlement.

“The defendants accepted there was contamination of the waste material they were intending to export. Following our investigation they have improved their working practices to ensure that they will fully comply with the law in the future, safeguarding the environment. By accepting undertakings as to their future activities from the defendants and avoiding a costly trial we think that we have achieved the best result for both the environment and the taxpayer.

Thrilled

Danella Scott, company secretary at Ideal Waste Paper, daughter of managing director Kenny Thew, said: All three defendants were acquitted as the prosecution offered no evidence and we had no case to answer.

We are all absolutely thrilled here this is a family company, and my father and mother are completely over the moon but this is the outcome we expected.

She added: It is fantastic news, but this has been dragging on for far too long almost four years.

NCHs UK director Gary Bowman, one of the three defendants acquitted, said he did not wish to make a comment at this time.

Ideal Waste Paper

Ideal Waste Paper, based in Swanley, Kent, has been operating from Bermondsey, London, for more than 40 years. The company runs an office and commercial paper recycling service as well as taking material from local authorities.

In March 2011, the company relocated its operations from Bermondsey after it opened a 14 million recycling complex, including a materials recycling facility (MRF) at the Swanley site. The plant has the capacity to handle up to 100,000 tonnes of material per year.

Newport CH International Ltd, based in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, is the UK branch of a US-based recycled paper and scrap steel exporter, which supplies material to mills in China and other Asian countries.

The company, which was formed in 2003, also has offices in Connecticut, California, Illinois, the Netherlands and Shanghai.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges in September (see letsrecycle.com story), but the the trial was put back until April 2013.