The company behind the GHD brand, Jemella Ltd, has been fined after admitting it used to be completely in the dark about its legal obligations when it came to the disposal of packaging waste.

This week it pleaded guilty to seven waste offences, which boiled down to a failure to register with the Environment Agency as a packaging waste producer between 2004 and 2006, avoiding fees and other costs of at least £4,400.

The company registered of its own accord in 2007 but a routine check of the company’s West Yorkshire premises by the Environment Agency in July 2008 established that the company should have been registered in previous years.

The EA’s prosecutor told the court that Jemella had claimed to be unaware of the packaging regulations and had registered as soon as it realised they existed.

The company’s defence lawyer said Jemella had been “shocked and disappointed” to discover it had breached environmental regulations because it took its recycling responsibilities very seriously.

The company was ordered to pay fines and costs of £9,626.

Sam Bond

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