Beer importer pays £414k after recycling failure

The company claimed it was unaware of the regulation

A beer importer has paid £414,000 after an investigation found it had been an unregistered producer of packaging for 18 years.

Bristol-based Budweiser Budvar UK failed to register in 2004 under regulations on packaging waste when it was supposed to, the Environment Agency (EA) said.

"The company claimed it was unaware of the regulations until the agency stepped in," said the EA. Following the agency's two-year investigation, Budweiser Budvar has paid £414,000 to Keep Britain Tidy for use in their Great British Spring Clean campaign.

Budweiser Budvar UK Ltd said it acknowledged its "oversight" and took "immediate and proactive measures" to rectify it as soon as it was aware.

The payment by the importer of the Czech lager was agreed as the amount it saved by not recovering or recycling packaging waste, as well as a 30% fine.

The company has also covered the Environment Agency’s costs and was now "fully compliant" with regulations, the agency added.

"It’s important that businesses take responsibility for the packaging that they place on the UK market," said Jake Richardson of the EA.

"We investigated and found they had failed to comply with the regulations and had consequently not paid its rightful share towards the recycling of its packaging.

"When the company realised this, it wanted to do the right thing and so it submitted an Enforcement Undertaking offer, which ensured that all avoided recycling costs were donated to a project that will enhance, restore and protect England’s natural environment."

A spokesperson for Budweiser Budvar UK said: "Whilst we acknowledge past oversights in our UK operations, we have fully rectified these issues and the steps we have taken were audited by the Environment Agency who were satisfied with the measures we implemented.

"At Budweiser Budvar, we take our environmental responsibilities and regulatory compliance very seriously.

"We are confident that the steps we have taken will reinforce our commitment to environmental stewardship and corporate responsibility."