Scrapco Fired Over Illegal Disposals

1 February 2011

In what can be seen as a warning to illegal electrical waste processing, the owner of Kent scrap metal haulier Scrapco Metal Recycling was ordered to pay £26,600 after pleading guilty of illegally accepting and processing electrical and metal waste.

Ricky Hunn was fined £20,000 under the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2007 for processing the waste without an environmental permit and Scrapco incurred a further £3000 fine under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 for failing to provide a written description of the waste and he was also ordered to pay extra costs of £3,600.

The case follows an earlier investigation by the Agency, which saw four companies and 11 individuals charged over the alleged illegal export of electrical waste.

Simon Walsh. Co-founder of ShP Limited, which recycles electricals on behalf of businesses across UK, said: "If electrical equipment isn't disposed of properly, the hazardous substances they contain such as memory and lead, can have disastrous consequences for the environment. It's only right that the Environment Agency is cracking down on businesses that ignore the rules. If you're a business with old electricals, make sure you give them to reputable recycling firms.

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE Directive) was introduced in UK law in January 2007. It aims to reduce the amount of electrical and electronic equipment being produced and encourages everyone to reuse, recycle it.