Grosvenor Waste Management of the UK has pleaded guilty to six charges of illegally exporting containers of household and other waste, according to UK recycling magazine MRW. The firm admitted that it had not given the correct notification for materials that were destined to be recycled.The company faced 19 charges under the transfrontier shipment regulations at Maidstone Crown Court, with the prosecution dividing these into four limbs relating to incidents in Indonesia, the Netherlands, Southampton and Thamesport. The guilty plea covered the first three limbs and charges one to six; a provisional date of April 4 has been set for sentencing. It was decided that it would not be in the public interest to proceed with the trial regarding the final limb. Grosvenor has agreed to pay £ 85 000 (Euro 127 700/US$ 165 000) towards costs on the first six charges while issues relating to the other 13 will not be proceeded further.
The company’s defence lawyer said some of the publicity surrounding the case had been ‘misleading and inaccurate’. Grosvenor’s legal representation also stated: ‘There is no question at all of Grosvenor exporting material for landfill or disposal overseas. All of the material in this case was to be recycled. Landfill is abhorrent to Grosvenor.’
