The beer and wine importer, Cobra Beer, has been fined £25,800 for failing to recover and recycle over 1,000 tonnes of packaging waste. It failed to comply with the then current Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations SI 2005/3468, where businesses with an annual turnover in excess of £2m that handle more than 50 tonnes of packaging each year must sign up to an Environment Agency registered compliance scheme.
The Regulations are designed to ensure companies assess the amount of packaging they use and, where possible, limit their consumption. Each year businesses must also provide evidence of payment for the recovery and recycling of a specified proportion of packaging waste, including wood, aluminium, steel, cardboard and plastic.
Cobra business development director, Christopher Edgcumbe-Rendle, conceded that the firm had not taken the necessary steps to meet its obligations. Nonetheless, he added that, "Since being made aware of the situation, we have co-operated fully with the Environment Agency and joined an Environment Agency accredited compliance scheme to ensure we now meet all Producer Responsibility Obligations."
According to the Environment Agency many businesses remain unaware of their environmental responsibilities with regard to packaging. Details of the current Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations SI 2007/871 are available on CEDREC Environmental.
