Meanwhile, back at the 'fine first' end...

'Ignorance is no excuse' they say, but it's hard not to sympathise with those who may well soon cop it from this: Firms ‘unprepared’ for waste regulation

Regs is regs, I know, but why do I get the feeling a lot more effort has gone into the policing of all this, as opposed to easing it in effectively.

I love this quote:

"It feels like over the past 12 months every man and his dog has been making noises about becoming greener, but here we have a major piece of legislation coming into force that supports this, and it is virtually ignored...."

Read one sentence more to get a hint why:

"Crucially, it isn't just manufacturers that will now have to treat their own non-hazardous waste before it is collected; every business in the country, including high street retailers, City offices and country pubs must now produce their own reports on how they have treated their waste, in accordance with the EA's guidelines.”

Or the key bit that tops it all off: 'It is still vague how heavily the rules will be enforced'

I'll be they figure the enforcement bit out pretty quick, but probably a tad before sorting out the vague aspects.