A Redditch shop fittings company has pleaded guilty this month to charges of failing to meet its obligations under legislation relating to the recovery and recycling of packaging. AMS Group Ltd, who are a manufacturer, supplier and installer of shop fittings and furniture were fined a total of £3,354 at Redditch Magistrates, over non-compliance with the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations SI 1997/648.
The offences came to light in October 2006 when Environment Agency investigations indicated that AMS Group might have obligations under the Regulations. During a formal interview in November 2006 the company admitted that they had never recovered or recycled any packaging waste and had not purchased or exchanged packaging waste for packaging waste recovery notes (PRNs). They also admitted to not having being registered for the 2006 obligation year. Under the Regulations, the current version of which is the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations SI 2007/871, companies that handle over 50 tonnes of packaging and have a turnover of more than £2 million must register with the Agency or a compliance scheme by 7 April every year. They must also recover and recycle specific amounts of packaging waste and provide a certificate stating that they have met those obligations.
AMS Group issued a statement saying they had co-operated with the Agency and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and are now fully registered with a compliance scheme.
In other packaging waste news, new figures released by the National Packaging Waste Database suggest that the UK is on course to meet their national producer responsibility targets for this year. In fact, if the current recycling rates continue there will be easily enough PRNs and their export equivalent, PERNs, to satisfy demand from producers.
