SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): Waves Coffee- the leading B.C.-based coffee chain has been fined around $31,000 for not implementing a government-mandated recycling program, even after warning.

In accordance with B.C.'s Environmental Management Act, coffee shop owners who create their own single-use products and whose gross revenues exceed $1 million per year are required to implement and fund recycling programs. The B.C.'s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, in its decision, cited that Waves Coffee failed to implement recycling program though being aware of the program requirement. Also, the company failed to submit a recycling plan, even 8 months after issuing the warning.

Stephanie Little, director of the Environmental Management Act, in her decision, noted that Waves Coffee has a history of failing to respond to the Ministry. The coffee chain regularly pushed back deadlines for responding, even during the penalty investigation process, Little added.

Initially, the agency estimated that the average daily consumption of the coffee chain per location at around 500. However, Waves Coffee countered the estimates, saying that average consumption totalled only around 57 per day per location. The fine amount was arrived at by taking 100 as the consensus estimate.