Hayley Willoughby - A
drugs company was ordered to pay nearly
£18,000 at Maidenhead Magistrates’
Court for failing to recover and recycle
over 679 tonnes of packaging waste.
Sanofi Pasteur MSD limited, based in Mallards
Reach, Bridge Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire,
founded in 1994 develop and supply vaccines
worldwide against a wide range of diseases.
On Friday 26 October the company pleaded
guilty to failing to register with the Environment
Agency as a producer of packaging, and to
failing to meet its requirements to recover
and recycle packaging waste between 1997
and 2006. It was calculated that the company
had avoided costs of around £15,970
by not registering or purchasing the correct
amount of Packaging Recovery Notes as required
by the Regulations since 1997.
The company was fined £10,970, plus
an additional compensation of £5,000.
The magistrates also ordered the company
to pay £1,575 in costs to the Environment
Agency.
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 .
Each year, the company must also provide
evidence of payment for recovery and recycling
of a specified proportion of packaging waste,
including wood, aluminum, steel, cardboard
and plastic. The regulations are designed
to make companies assess the amount of packaging
they handle and, where possible, limit its
use. For the packaging remaining, companies
are expected to purchase evidence of recovery
and recycling, the money raised by doing
so is invested in the recycling industry.
Details of the regulations are available
in trade journals, through trade organisations
and online but unfortunately, many organisations
remain unaware of this responsibility, and
year on year packaging continues to pile
up in the UK’s landfill sites.
The Environment Agency discovered Aventis
Pasteur MSD Ltd were not registered in January
2007 as part of routine checks. The company
signed up to a compliance scheme, Valpak,
in March 2007.
Environment officer Carol Witt said: “We
are grateful to Sanofi Pasteur MSD Ltd for
their cooperation with our investigations
and the steps they took to ensure future
compliance with the regulations.
“However, the money raised from compliance
with this legislation goes directly to the
recycling industry. 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.”
+ More
Environment Agency uses European Arrest
Warrant in waste crime investigation
National Press Office - An Irishman believed
to be involved a number of serious waste
crimes has been brought back to the United
Kingdom using an European Arrest Warrant
to face prosecution – a first for the Environment
Agency in its fight against fly-tipping.
Patrick Joseph Anderson, who is from the
Republic of Ireland, was detained by Irish
police and deported last Thursday (25 October)
following a European Arrest Warrant being
issued. He was flown back to London Heathrow
where he re-arrested.
Owen Bolton, Senior Environmental Crime
Officer at the Environment Agency, Anglian
Region, who led the investigations said:
“This is the first time the Environment
Agency has been successful in using a European
Arrest Warrant to bring someone to face
prosecution for waste crime.
“We believe Mr Anderson was involved in
a number of serious fly-tipping offences
in North and South East London, and in Essex.
Our investigations date back into incidents
from 2003, and as the case is due to be
heard at Inner London Crown Court, we are
unable to give specific details of the case.”
A court summons had originally been issued
to Mr Anderson at his last known address
in England in October 2006. However, when
the Environment Agency attempted to serve
them on him, it became apparent he had sold
up and moved back to Ireland.
Owen Bolton continued: “When we learnt
of Mr Andersons’ new whereabouts, our Head
Office Legal Team secured the European Arrest
Warrant with the assistance of the Crown
Prosecution Service. This case sends out
a clear message that the Environment Agency
will use all the powers at its disposal
to ensure those who we believe may be involved
in crimes against our environment are bought
to justice.
“Waste crime is a serious problem that
not only damages our environment, but forces
significant costs upon those victims that
are dumped on and undermines the legitimate
businesses who handle waste in accordance
with the law. We will not tolerate it and
continue to work to tackle it.”
Mr Anderson is currently on police bail
on the conditions that he has handed over
his passport, resides at a UK address, paid
a bond of £5,000 and reports to the
local police station once a week.
