Alongside its fine, the company was also ordered to pay £3755 in costs to the Environment Agency and £6854 for unpaid registration fees for the years in question.
The fine overtakes the previous highest fine of £225,000 which was imposed in January 2009 on Telford-based Western Wines after the company also failed to register as a producer of packaging waste (see letsrecycle.com story).
Under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007, businesses which have an annual turnover in excess of £2 million and handle more than 50 tonnes of packaging each year, must be registered with the Environment Agency or a compliance scheme. Each year, obligated businesses must also provide evidence of payment for the recovery and recycling of packaging waste.
Red Bull Company Limited approached the Environment Agency on July 8 2007 to say it was not registered with the Agency or a compliance scheme.
The company then cooperated with the EA and attended an interview under caution on March 12 2008 where it admitted its turnover and packaging handled was more than the threshold limits allowed by the regulations. By not registering it was estimated that Red Bull made a saving of more than £180,000.
Environment Agency officer Helen Pavlou said: “While it is encouraging that the Red Bull Company came to us when they realised their mistake, it is disappointing that there are still companies that are not compliant with this important legislation more than a decade after it was passed.
“Money raised from compliance is invested in the recycling industry, so failure to comply by the Red Bull Company Ltd and other companies means that there is less investment in the recycling industry than there should be,” she added.
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