Garden equipment firm avoids Packaging Regulations fine

The company was ordered to pay £1,552 in compensation, for the two years that it did not register with the Environment Agency, and £1,868 in costs after pleading guilty to six offences under the regulations this week.

However, the company, which was not aware of the regulation, was not made to pay a fine to the Environment Agency.

Under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007 companies with an annual turnover of £2m or more and that handle more than 50 tonnes of packaging a year are required to recover and recycle a proportion of their packaging.

In 2007, Rochford Garden Machinery handled 153 tonnes of packaging, including cardboard, wood and plastics and had a turnover of £8.8m.

The company’s director Peter Rochford said that it was already signed up to 10 separate recycling contracts and called for the government to raise awareness of the regulations.

He said the “EA should spend more time liaising with businesses that are already on the EA’s database [RGM has two separate contracts for pollution control and hazardous waste], as well as working with trade associations and the national press about the importance of the regulations”.

In a statement, an Environment Agency spokeswoman highlighted that the regulations were introduced more than a decade ago.

“During these early years we worked very closely with key trade bodies and business support organisations to make people aware of the regulations and what they needed to do.

“We continue to provide guidance through Netregs, the network of Producer Compliance Schemes, and contact with trade bodies.”

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