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Soap Box - Do the Packaging Waste Regulations work?
This week, Soap Box wants the industry's views on the Producer Responsibility (Packaging Waste) Regulations.
In the past week tube and pipeline specialist Marla Tube Fittings fined £21,000 for breaching the regulations.
While, Canderel sweetner supplier Merisant UK was been fined £54,000 for failing to comply with the legislation.
We want to know your views on the regulations. Do they work? Should they be tougher? How would you improve them? Are they publicised enough? What should be done to ensure businesses know of their obligations?
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Comments
Pack Man - 19 November 2008
The fact that firms are prosecuted would suggest that the rules are working. That said, no firm has yet tried to stand up to the rules - everyone pleads guilty and complies - which would be an important test.
As most firms seem to plead ignorance as the reason for not complying, much more should be done to inform companies of what they need to do.
I feel there ought to be an option to make up back payments (say for the previous 12 month period), rather than have to go through the legal process. If you comply after receiving one letter explaining what to do, then you should not have to go to court and pay costs to the Environment Agency..
If this goes on for a longer period, or you fail to comply within a given time then there would be more justification for a trial, but at the moment the EA seems too happy to be making examples of people.
James Smith - 20 November 2008
The existence of the Packaging Waste Regulations certainly doesn't seem to stop that many people from breaking them, given how often Packaging News is reporting on them.
Is there anything the press or the government could do to raise their profile, I wonder?
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