Jewellery firm fined 6,000 under packaging waste rules

Haywards Heath Magistrates Court fined the firm £3,000 on 6 August, and ordered it to pay £1,539 and £1,695 in compensation and costs, respectively.

Environment Agency team leader Carina Strutt said the organisation was disappointed there were still companies that were not complying with the rules after more than a decade.

“Money raised from compliance is invested in recycling. Failure to comply means there is less investment in the recycling industry than there should be,” she said.

The EA contacted Icon Live in July 2008 and the firm immediately joined a scheme. It apologised for its offences and said it took its environmental responsibility very seriously.

The fine comes two weeks after drinks firm Red Bull was hit with the biggest-ever packaging waste fine, £271,800, for failing to comply with the scheme over an eight-year period.

But the EA has been criticised for not doing enough to raise the awareness of smaller companies about complying with the regulations.

Icon Live was unavailable for comment at the time of publication.

Under the Producer Responsibility Requirements (Packaging Waste) Regulations, firms that handle more than 50 tonnes of packaging a year and generate a turnover bigger than £2m are required to register with the EA or compliance scheme.

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