Company fined for trying to illegally export dirty nappies among plastic waste

A company in Kent has been fined thousands for trying to illegally export dirty nappies among plastic waste to Turkey.

In March 2019, P&D Material Recovery Limited filled 11 containers with plastic contaminated with banned waste at Chatham Dockyard, Gillingham.

Two shipments described as 'plastic scrap', totalling approximately 220 tonnes, was to be sent to a facility in Turkey.

However during a routine inspection of the cargo, the containers were also found to include soiled nappies and sanitary towels, condoms, cotton buds, glass, textiles (including old underwear) and tin cans.

This was in breach of international law and the waste was returned to the company where it was incinerated. 

The company will now pay the Environment Agency £10,845.60 for breaching the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations and the attempted export of illegal waste.

P&D Material Recovery Limited also made a £13,000 payment to the Sandwich Bay Observatory Trust.

The charity works on the conservation and recording of the natural environment in the Sandwich Bay area, where the money will be spent on its ‘Restharrow Scrape Project’. Birds found here include black-headed gulls, lapwings, oystercatchers, as well as several pairs of avocets who have nested here in recent years, the first-ever in this corner of east Kent.

Stephen Young, lead investigator for the Environment Agency on this case, said: “We want all producers and waste companies to be responsible and make sure they only export material that can be legally and safely sent abroad for recycling.

“Illegal waste exports blight the lives and environment of those overseas.

“All UK waste exports should meet regulations on waste shipments, and the Environment Agency has a system of inspections in place to verify compliance.”