WEEE Recycler Sunersol Limited, which had been at the centre of a dispute with the Environment Agency over the export of WEEE, has ceased operating after entering administration.
Administrators Peter Sargent and Adrian Graham of legal firm Begbies Traynor were appointed to oversee the sale of the assets of the company, which is based in Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, on September 7.
The Agency suspended Sunersols approval to issue recycling evidence for exported waste electricals in May 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 (see letsrecycle.com story).
As well as suspending the approval to issue recycling evidence for exported waste, the Agency also withdrew its consent to a permit allowing the export of waste electricals and placed the company under investigation.
Sunersol reacted angrily to the allegations, threatening the Agency with legal action after claiming that it had received no response to its requests to have the export approval reinstated, which it said was jeopardising its business (see letsrecycle.com).
Debtors
A spokesman for Begbies Traynor told letsrecycle.com that he did not know if the dispute with the Environment Agency had lead to the company filing for administration, but said that the company had several debtors owed over 100,000, including HMRC.
The spokesman also revealed that a significant amount of television glass that had yet to be recycled by Sunersol is currently being held at the Heckmondwike site, and that the administrator is currently seeking an outlet for the material.
On the sale of the companys assets, he said: It is still early days but it is expected that the assets will be disposed of. There has already been interest from a number of parties.
The companys premises and recycling equipment are being sold via commercial property specialists Walker Singleton.
Sunersol Ltd employed 52 full time staff at its registered recycling site in Heckmondwike and its head office in Mirfield, West Yorkshire.
The company carried out pre-treatment on WEEE at the 75,000 tonne per year capacity Heckmondwike site but exported a significant amount of material to China for recycling.
According to the Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, the company, which was formed in 2010, achieved a turnover of over 3 million. It had also submitted plans to build an additional 35,000 sq ft of warehouse space at the Heckmondwike recycling facility.
CRT Recycling
The news concerning Sunersol comes as newly formed company Display Recycling Limited, completed the purchase of the assets of cathode ray tube (CRT) reprocessor CRT Recycling Limited in Rhydymwyn, Flintshire.
Former Sunersol managing director Craig Thompson was involved in seeing the deal through to completion, having been hired by DRL on a consultancy basis.
Buyers had been sought for CRT Recycling since January, after the company filed for administration claiming that a change in the rules governing the storage of CRT glass had lead to the closure of its site (see letsrecycle.com story).
A statement on the website of Baker Tilly, the administrator appointed to oversee the liquidation of the business, confirmed that the sale to Display Recycling Ltd was completed on August 31. DRL will continue to trade from CRT Recyclings former premises near Mold and it is anticipated that around 50 jobs will be created. DRL were unavailable for comment.
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