Jane Nower - 5-Dec-2007
- A London-based international nut supplier
Barrow, Lane and Ballard Ltd was ordered to
pay £33,360 at Tower Bridge Magistrates
Court today for failing to recover and recycle
more than 900 tonnes of packaging waste.
On Wednesday 5 December 2007 Barrow, Lane
and Ballard Ltd, of Southwark Street, SE1,
London pleaded guilty to failing to register
with the Environment Agency as a producer
of packaging waste, and to failing to meet
its requirements to recover and recycle packaging
waste for 9 years from 1998 – 2006.
The company – which imports nuts from Vietnam,
Bolivia, China, and Argentina and exports
them throughout Northern Europe and North
America - was fined £23,400 and ordered
to pay £2,356 in costs to the Environment
Agency. Magistrates also ordered compensation
of £7,604 to be paid to the Environment
Agency for avoided registration fees.
Under the Producer Responsibility Obligations
(Packaging Waste) Regulations, all businesses
with an annual turnover in excess of £2
million that 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 a specified proportion of
packaging waste, including wood, aluminum,
steel, cardboard and plastic.
The Regulations are designed to ensure companies
assess the amount of packaging they use and,
where possible, limit their consumption. For
the packaging remaining, companies are expected
to invest in the recycling industry. Details
of the Regulations are available in trade
journals, through trade organisations and
online but unfortunately, many businesses
remain unaware of their responsibilities.
The Environment Agency wrote to Barrow, Lane
and Ballard Ltd requesting details of their
packaging usage in January 2007, In February
2007 the Environment Agency received two letters
from the company, the first stating that they
should be registered and the second that they
had joined the recycling compliance scheme
Synergy Compliance.
A director of Barrow, Lane & Ballard
Ltd admitted the company had a turnover greater
than £2 million for the years 1997-2006
and acknowledged that the company had probably
handled more than 50 tonnes of packaging in
each of the years. From the figures provided
it was calculated that the company has saved
an estimated £16 997.75 in avoided of
PRN’s (evidence of recovery/recycling) and
registration costs.
As a result of the company’s failure to recover
and recycle an equivalent weight of packaging
handled, it has impeded the UK’s ability to
meet the recycling targets as set by the EU.
Additionally, an estimated total of 1,996
tonnes of packaging waste may not have been
diverted from landfill. Of the estimated £16,997.75
saved, £9,695.75 would have directly
supported the growth of the recycling industry.
Environment officer Carol Witt said: “The
money raised from compliance with this legislation
goes directly to the recycling industry and
the failure by this company to ensure they
met their responsibilities means that there
was less investment in the recycling industry
than there should have been.
"There is information available to businesses
to ensure they meet they environmental responsibility.
It is important companies take this responsibility
seriously to stop the tonnes of packaging
piling up in the UK’s limited landfill sites.”
Notes for editors
From the figures provided and the audit of
the company it has been calculated that the
company has saved an estimated £9,695.75
in not purchasing PRN’s (evidence of recovery/recycling)
and registration fees of £7,604. The
Producer Responsibility (Packaging Waste)
Regulations were originally implemented in
1997 as a result of the EU Packaging Directive.
The regulations are designed to make companies
assess the amount of packaging they use and,
where possible, limit the amount used.
For the packaging remaining, companies have
a responsibility to invest in the recycling
industry. The amount of recovery and recycling
is dependent on the type of activity the company
performs on the packaging and the tonnage
handled. As the majority of companies are
unable to take back their packaging, a system
was set up whereby they purchase Packaging
Recovery Notes (PRNs) or Packaging Export
Recovery Notes (PERNs) to the value of their
obligation. The money from these PRNs/PERNs
is used by the reprocessors of the packaging
to improve the efficiency of their process,
to expand their facilities, and assist with
the funding of domestic recycling schemes,
etc
