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A recycling company which made money off knowingly submitting false records has been ordered to pay around £100,000.

GLJ Recycling Ltd, based on Chapel Farm Industrial Estate, Cwmcarn, had a permit from Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to process, receive and treat metal waste.

As an Authorised Treatment Facility (AATF), the firm was able to issue and sell evidence of any electrical goods they treat to Producer Compliance Schemes.

Under the permit conditions, GLJ Recycling were allowed to treat electrical waste equipment, such as large and small domestic appliances, ranging from household white goods, to toasters, kettles and vacuum cleaners.

However, during compliance checks, officers from NRW found potential false records, sparking a full investigation.

The company’s owner Gareth Lyndon Jones and employee Colleen Andrews were found to be responsible for falsely recording and reporting the weight of the electrical goods received – increasing the value of the waste they received by around £38,000.

NRW found waste electrical goods were also incorrectly categorised, with a majority of suppliers confirming there would not have been any electronic waste sent to the firm.

Officers from NRW also found it was not physically possible for GLJ Recycling to have handled and treated the quantities of electronic goods declared.

Originally, both Jones and Andrews claimed during an interview that the electronic waste was coming in from the respective companies and blamed other staff for lying in their statements.

However, the duo later changed their account, with Andrews pleading guilty to knowingly submitting false information and Jones pleading guilty to recklessly submitting information.

They were sentenced at Newport Crown Court on Tuesday, July 19, with the judge fining the company £72,000, as well as ordering it to pay more than £22,000 to NRW.

Andrews was also fined £2,400 and Jones £4,000.

John Rock, team leader at NRW, said: “We regulate companies that are approved to recycle Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and ensure these companies properly recycle the WEEE they receive, and correctly report data, so that companies selling electrical goods pay for the recycling when they become waste.”

He continued: “Our investigations proved that GLJ Recycling made false claims on waste that they had not received and so they could be paid money they were not entitled to.

“This money should have gone to recyclers that were properly recycling waste to make sure as many materials can be recovered and used again to help us move towards a circular economy.

“The fine given by the judge reflects the financial gain that the company has made and the impact on a system designed to make sure we recycle and re-use electrical goods when they are no longer needed.”

Mr Rock said the fine “should send a strong message that NRW will take the appropriate action against those who think they can flout the rules”.