Roydon Resource Recovery Ltd pays penalty for illegal export

Roydon Resource Recovery Ltd is to pay more than £800,000 in Proceeds of Crime and its director, Wilfred Sumner, is to pay another £10,000.

Sumner, whose address on Companies House is on Ashbank Avenue, Ladybridge, Bolton, was prosecuted by the Environment Agency alongside his resource recovery company, which is based on Rake Lane, Clifton, Salford, for the illegal export of more than 200 tonnes of waste with 10 shipping containers to Poland.

This was under the guise of green list legislation which allows some waste to be sent to certain countries as long as it is uncontaminated.

However the Environment Agency said recyclable plastic was contaminated with non-recyclable plastic and other items such as nappies.

At Manchester Crown Court last week Roydon Resource Recovery Ltd was ordered to pay more than £800,000 in Proceeds of Crime and Sumner, 66, was ordered to pay another £10,000.

Emma Viner, the Environment Agency's enforcement manager, said: "The Environment Agency welcomes the outcome of this prosecution. Roydon Resource Recovery Ltd and Wilfred Sumner showed a disregard for the legislation which is in place to protect our environment.

"Environment Agency officers work to tackle this type of criminality and the outcome of this prosecution sends a strong message to those involved in waste crime. Through our investigations and our work under the Proceeds of Crime Act we will ensure waste crime does not pay and criminals are brought to justice. 

"Operations like this undermine businesses, undercut prices and blight the environment.    

"If people suspect criminal activity they should report it to our 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 807 060 or through CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111."

For information on waste and recycling go to gov.uk/environment/waste-and-recycling.

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.