Charlie Carmichael-
A Cambridge Firm has been charged £30k after breaching packaging regulations
Hexcel Reinforcements UK Limited, which is registered in Cambridge but operates in Leicester, admitted to offences which took place between 2005 and 2020.
The business failed to register as a packaging producer and take steps to recover and recycle its packaging waste under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007 (as amended).
Companies with a turnover in excess of £2million and which handled more than 50 tonnes of packaging in the previous year, must ensure a certain percentage of packaging is recycled.
These regulations ensure packaging materials such as paper, cardboard, plastics, wood, glass and more are recycled and do not end up in landfill.
The Environment Agency accepted an Enforcement Undertaking (EU) offer from Hexcel Reinforcements UK Limited to address the breach of the environmental legislation.
The money has been donated to The Woodland Trust’s Mead Appeal in Derbyshire who are working hard to transform a former opencast mine into a haven for wildlife and people. The project will boost animal wildlife such as 40 bird species as well as badgers, water vole, foxes and more.
A spokesperson from the Environment Agency said:
Enforcement Undertakings allow businesses who fail to comply with legal requirements or pollute the environment to come into compliance or positively address and restore any harm caused to the environment and prevent repeat incidents.
The Environment Agency is increasingly using this method of enforcement for less serious cases to restore and improve the environment, change behaviour and improve practices of the offender.
Report environmental incidents to the Environment Agency’s 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.
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