Budweiser Budvar claimed it was unaware of the legislation. Credit: Ralf Liebhold via Shutterstock.

Budweiser Budvar UK, a beer importer, has made a substantial contribution to an environmental charity following a failure to comply with packaging waste regulations.  

According to the UK’s Environment Agency (EA), the company should have registered under the regulations on packaging waste in 2004 and implemented measures to recover and recycle waste. 

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The investigation by the EA, initiated two years ago, uncovered that Budvar UK had not registered as a producer of packaging waste, as required by law.  

The company claimed ignorance of the regulations until the agency’s intervention.  

In response to the findings, Budweiser Budvar paid £414,003 ($533.30) to Keep Britain Tidy to support the Great British Spring Clean campaign. 

This payment was part of an Enforcement Undertaking, a voluntary agreement that serves as an alternative to prosecution.  

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The sum represents the cost savings from not recycling, plus an additional 30% penalty, and covers the EA’s costs.  

Budvar UK has since achieved full compliance with the packaging regulations and implemented processes to maintain this standard. 

EA representative Jake Richardson said: “It’s important that businesses take responsibility for the packaging that they place on the UK market. The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations ensure that businesses contribute towards the cost of recycling packaging waste. 

“In this case, 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.”