Firms in the UK are to benefit from new alternatives to prosecution for waste offences from today (January 4th).
It was announced by the Environment Agency that businesses can now volunteer to pay for the cost of cleaning up environmental offences.
The provision is part of the new Enforcement Undertakings, which mean that businesses which commit key environmental offences will now only have pay relatively low fixed-penalty notices.
According to the government, the move will make the law more "flexible and effective" – despite concerns that some businesses could take advantage of the voluntary provisions.
Bethan Donovan, environment and business senior advisor at the regulator, said that the government agency would continue to take a tough stance.
She commented: "Illegal operators pollute the environment, blight communities, take income from legitimate business, threaten jobs and sometimes have links to organised crime."
The coalition announced in December that key agencies of the rural affairs department would be losing up to a fifth of their budget.
Typical Guttridge equipment used in the recycling industry includes; elevators – bucket elevators – valves
