Wine retailer faces heavy fine for not complying with packaging waste regs

A Bath-based fine wine retailer and importer has been ordered to pay charges of more than £35,000 in fines and costs for not recycling its waste packaging.

The Great Western Wine Company pleaded guilty to nine offences under the Packaging Waste Regulations,  including failing to register and take reasonable steps to recover and recycle packaging waste and failing to furnish certificates of compliance in 2004 and 2008.

The Environment Agency brought the case against the wine company, saying the purpose of the regulations are to "encourage businesses to behave responsibly and ensure a percentage of the packaging they handle is recovered and recycled", thereby reducing the amount of waste going to landfill.

Under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 (2005 and 2007), all businesses with an annual turnover of more than £2 million a year and handling more than 50 tonnes of packaging annually are obliged to register with the Environment Agency or a recognised compliance scheme. Through the regulations businesses purchase Packaging Recovery Notes (PRNs) to demonstrate they are compliant with their recovery and recycling obligations. PRNs are issued by specialist companies recycling packaging waste.

The Great Western Wine Company had an annual turnover of £4.7 million in 2003, rising to £7.7 million in 2007 – evidence the company should have registered with the Environment Agency. The amount of packaging handled by the company in those years was 315 tonnes and 637 tonnes, respectively. It is estimated the company avoided more than £22,000 in fees and costs for the years 2004 to 2008 by failing to comply with the regulations.

Mark Pritchard for the Environment Agency said: "The defendant company is a successful and well-established business handling relatively large amounts of packaging. It should have been aware of its responsibilities under the Waste Packaging Regulations and taken the necessary steps to ensure compliance."