A Telford company has made a financial contribution to a local charity after failing to comply with packaging waste regulations designed to protect the environment.
An investigation by the Environment Agency ended with Rosewood Pet Products making the payment of £66,149.57 under a proactive Enforcement Undertaking (EU) to the Shropshire Wildlife Trust.
An EU is a voluntary offer made by companies and individuals to make amends for their offending. It usually includes a financial contribution to a charity to carry out environmental improvements.
Packaging regulations are designed to ensure that businesses fund the recycling of the waste they create.
The investigation revealed that the company became obligated to the regulations in 1999 but did not register until 2020.
By failing to register and to take reasonable steps to recover and recycle packaging waste, it was estimated that the business avoided fees and charges of £60,135.97 to which a 10% penalty element is added, totalling £66,149.57 to be paid to charity.
Companies become an ‘obligated’ packaging producer if they handled more than 50 tonnes of packaging materials in the previous calendar year and have a turnover of more than £2 million.
Shropshire Wildlife Trust is using the payments to offer 27 fully funded visits to their Wood Lane Nature Reserve for schools from the Telford area.
Another project will engage local teenagers and young people in Telford in using their local green spaces in a positive way through 5 weekend workshops each year for 3 years.
Jake Richardson, Senior Technical Officer for the Environment Agency, said:
“Protecting the environment and taking action against those that damage or threaten this is our utmost priority.
“While we will always prosecute in the most serious cases, Enforcement Undertakings are an effective enforcement tool to allow companies to put things right and contribute to environmental improvements.
“They enable businesses to become more compliant and prevent repeat offending by improving their procedures, helping ensure future compliance with environmental requirements.”
Ellie Larkham, Trust Education and Learning Manager for Shropshire Wildlife Trust, said:
“This funding will support Shropshire Wildlife Trust’s Education and Learning Team to bring schools to our Wood Lane nature reserve for an unforgettable trip.
“The schools will experience our one-day Secrets of Waste session, which includes looking at how well nature recycles on our nature reserve.
“There will also be a trailer ride provided by TG Group to visit the adjacent landfill site and materials recycling facility.
“Schools tell us that they struggle to fund off-site trips like this, particularly with the increasing cost of coach travel, but they are reluctant to pass on costs to parents.
“We want to ensure that this funding has a legacy, so it is really exciting to have the opportunity to work with a group of the most engaged schools to embed outdoor learning in their curriculum.
“The whole school community will be encouraged to take ownership of the green spaces around their school which can lead to improvements in the local environment for everyone.
“We will also run some taster session events to engage local teenagers and young people in Telford in using their local green spaces in a positive way.”
Shropshire Live is regulated by