UK restaurant chain PizzaExpress has been collared with a £75,000 fine for failing to recover and recycle an estimated 1,676 tonnes of packaging waste in 2002.

The chain was also forced to pay costs of £1,844.70 at Isleworth Crown Court, having been found to be in breach of the Producer Responsibilities Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997.

The legislation requires every company with an annual turnover in excess of £2m that produces more than 50 tonnes of packaging waste a year to register with the Environment Agency or one of four approved compliance schemes. PizzaExpress has paid the price for not adhering to the regulations “polluter pays” principle on this occasion.

PizzaExpress was registered with one compliance Scheme at the time of its infringement. But an EA inquiry found that the firm had failed to pay four invoices for compliance costs in the calendar year of 2002, a sum of £52,786.44.

A PizzaExpress statement said: “As reflective of our environmental commitment, we are 100 per cent supportive of the appropriate recycling and reuse of packaging waste.

"Due to changes in our processing, an administrative oversight took place in 2002.

"We hold our hands up and apologise for this mistake and have accepted a £75,000 fine (plus costs) as a result.

"We would stress that this is the first time this has occurred and have taken steps to ensure it never happens again."