28.11.2008

In The Courts - Packaging Waste Offences

Carluccio's Plc was fined £15,000 for packaging waste offences, following routine checks by the Environment Agency. It was also ordered to pay the Environment Agency £4,159 compensation and £2,400 costs.

Carluccio's based in Covent Garden, London, runs a chain of Italian restaurants and food shops. The nature of its business means that it handles a range of packaging, including; wine bottles, jars, cardboard boxes, bags, labels, pallets and shrink wrap.

The company pleaded guilty to failing to register with the Environment Agency as a producer of packaging and failing to meet its requirements to recover and recycle packaging waste between 2004 and 2006. The company asked the court to take into consideration similar offences in 2002 and 2003.

The company then joined the Paperpak compliance scheme on 12 February 2007. The Environment Agency calculated that the company had avoided costs of around £16,778 by not registering or purchasing the correct amount of packaging recovery notes as required by the regulations since 2002.