Dabs.com, one of the UK's largest on-line sellers of IT
equipment, was fined a total of £8,000 for failing to comply with a
number of packaging waste regulations.
The company pleaded guilty at Bolton Magistrates' Court to eight
offences under the Producer Responsibility Regulations of 1997,
which implement an EU Directive on the recovery and recycling of
packaging waste.
Under the Regulations, companies with a sufficient turnover that
handle significant amounts of packaging must register with the
Environmental Agency. They are also required to either arrange
themselves to have certain amounts of packaging waste recycled and
recovered each year, or join a registered recycling scheme.
The Environmental Agency, which brought the prosecution, claimed
that Dabs.com, which has an annual turnover exceeding £100 million,
saved up to £4,328 by not complying with the Regulations between
1997 and 2000.
The Agency said it became aware of the company's failures during
routine checks on businesses suspected of being subject to the
Regulations but not known to have registered.
The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste)
Regulations 1997 can be found at:
www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si1997/1970648.htm
