The Stone-based business is a specialist trade producer of point-of-sale and packaging products. It filed turnover of £16.6m in its most recent results, for calendar year 2022.

An Environment Agency investigation found that Swanline first became obligated in the 2010 registration year, but failed to register until 2021.

“Since then, the company has registered every year and is now compliant with the regulations,” the Environment Agency stated.

The £14,700 Enforcement Undertaking paid by Swanline will be used by the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust at its Craddock’s Moss project. It includes the costs that were avoided plus a penalty uplift.

Swanline also picked up the tab for the Environment Agency’s administration, investigation and legal costs.

Jake Richardson, senior technical officer at the Environment Agency, commented: “Enforcement Undertakings allow businesses who fail to comply with legal requirements or pollute the environment to come into compliance or positively address and restore any harm caused to the environment and prevent repeat incidents.

“The Environment Agency is increasingly using this method of enforcement for less serious cases to restore and improve the environment, change behaviour and improve practices of the offender.”

Under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007, companies are deemed to be an “obligated packaging producer” if they, or the group they are part of, handle 50 tonnes of packaging materials/packaging in the previous calendar year; and have annual turnover of more than £2m.

Swanline became part of acquisitive global packaging group Zeus in the summer of 2022. The limited company entity Swanline Print was renamed Swanline Group earlier this month.