A recent prosecution by the Environment Agency has highlighted the seriousness being attached to breaches of legislation implementing the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive 2002/96/EC.
Scrap metal firm operator, Ricky Hunn, was fined a total of £26,600 in relation to two offences for illegally accepting and processing electrical and metal waste at his firm at Longfield Farm, Kent.
Sevenoaks Magistrate Court heard how Mr Hunn had set up Scrapco Metal Recycling in the summer of 2009 after buying the site from another waste business. The licence obtained by Mr Hunn to operate on the site only allowed Scrapco to accept and process scrap metal in the form of cars and vehicles.
However, on a routine visit in November 2009, Environment Agency officers found large quantities of metal waste on site, as well as electrical waste intermingled with general scrap.
A further visit in January 2010 found that scrap metal and a considerable amount of electrical waste was spread over the site and was still being imported into the business. Scrapco ignored warnings from the Agency that they were operating illegally and could face prosecution.
Jamie Hamilton from the Environment Agency said: "Prosecution is usually a last resort for us, but it was clear that the situation at the Scrapco site could no longer be tolerated. Mr Hunn and his staff were repeatedly warned about the illegal waste activities taking place on the site but they chose to ignore our advice."
Mr Hunn was fined £20,000 for processing the waste without an environmental permit required under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations SI 2010/675, as well as £3,000 under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 for failing to provide a written description of the waste.
Simon Walsh, co founder of ShP Limited which recycles electricals on behalf of businesses across the UK said: "If electrical equipment isn't disposed of properly, the hazardous substances they contain such as mercury and lead, can have disastrous consequences for the environment. It's only right the Environment Agency is cracking down on businesses that ignore the rules. If you're a business with old electricals, make sure you give them to reputable recycling firms."
