West Yorkshire-based WEEE recycler Sunersol has had its approval to issue recycling evidence for exported waste electricals suspended by the Environment Agency.
The Agency has confirmed that the company is under investigation after 16 containers being exported to Hong Kong under a Sunersol permit were alleged to contain items that the company was not permitted to export, including hazardous waste.
As well as suspending the approval to issue recycling evidence for exported waste, the Agency has withdrawn its consent to a permit allowing the export of waste electricals.
A spokesman for the Environment Agency told letsrecycle.com: “Environment Agencys officers recently stopped and inspected 16 containers that were being exported under an approved permit issued to Sunersol.
Upon inspection, our officers decided that the waste was not as described because it contained waste that was not included on the permit and some of the waste included was hazardous. Therefore, we withdrew our approval to the permit. We are continuing with our investigation.”
Suspension
As of last Monday (May 15) the company is prohibited from issuing evidence on any WEEE exported overseas while the suspension is ongoing, although evidence can be issued for WEEE processed within the UK.
Sunersol Ltd employs 52 full time staff at its registered recycling site in Heckmondwike and at its head office in Mirfield, West Yorkshire. The company carries out pre-treatment on WEEE at the 75,000 tonne per year capacity Heckmondwike site but exports a significant amount of material to China for recycling.
According to the Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce the company which was formed in 2010 has achieved a 3 million turnover to date. It has also submitted plans to build an additional 35,000 sq ft of warehouse space at the Heckmondwike recycling facility, which currently covers 45,000 sq ft.
Statement
Sunersol managing director Craig Thompson, who previously worked for Glasgow-based WEEE reprocessor Electrical Waste Recycling Group Ltd (EWRG), told letsrecycle.com that any hazardous waste received for recycling by Sunersol is treated in the UK, and stated that the company would continue to work with the Environment Agency in the ongoing investigation.
In a statement, the company said: Sunersol exports small electrical appliances after pre-treatment to meet Annex II requirements of the WEEE regulations, we have Transfrontier Regulation (TFS) permits in place for the export of the material which have been in place for the last two years.
After a recent meeting with the Environment Agency they have suspended our Approved Exporter permit to carry out some further checks and we are waiting to hear back from the Agency, the export of mixed raw material streams (ferrous, non ferrous and plastics) are sent under TFS for final recovery of non-hazardous small electrical appliances, the only hazardous waste collected and recycled by Sunersol is display equipment which is fully recovered and recycled in the UK at our West Yorkshire AATF facility.
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