Roydon Resource Recovery Ltd., a waste management company with headquarters in Swinton, and one of its directors have been found guilty of illegal trash exportation.
They were also found guilty of disobeying appropriate management procedures. The prosecution resulted from the illegal transport of 10 shipping containers carrying 247 tonnes of waste to Poland while pretending to be part of the green list procedure.
Claimed to be clean plastics sorted from home rubbish, the unlawful export instead contained a majority of plastics unfit for recycling. Along with electrical appliances, diapers, and oil cannisters, other household objects were also extensively contaminated in the garbage.
The Environment Agency brought the prosecution, claiming that Roydon, one of a network of recycling companies of which Wilfred Sumner is a director, obtained substantial financial advantage by these conduct.
The company identifies itself as “in charge of managing the recycling of waste material” on their website. They consist of WEEE, plastics, paper, cardboard, metal, and facilities registered with government and environmental agencies in the UK and outside.
It also claims to have an Environment Agency licence.
A request for response from TheBusinessDesk.com was not answered by the company.
It was determined that Roydon Resource Recovery Ltd. was actively involved in this illicit export during a sentencing hearing held at Manchester Crown Court last week, on March 27.
A fine of around £870,000 was imposed on the corporation, of which £811,181 was for Proceeds of Crime. Wilfred Sumner, the company’s director, was also mandated to pay an additional £10,000.
The Environment Agency brought charges after conducting an investigation that revealed Roydon was exporting waste that was meant to be burned for fuel and that recycling was not part of the plan.
According to Emma Viner, Manager of Enforcement and Investigations, “The Environment Agency is pleased with the prosecution’s result. Wilfred Sumner and Roydon Resource Recovery Ltd. disregarded the laws put in place to safeguard our communities and environment.
“Environment Agency officials put in a lot of effort to combat this kind of illegal activity, and the conviction in this case sends a clear message to those who engage in trash crime. Waste crime does not pay, and those who commit it will be held accountable, thanks to our investigations and activities under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
“Illegal waste operations like these damage the environment, undercut legitimate businesses, and undermine them.”
Based on a £32.6 million turnover, the business achieved pre-tax profits of £3.6 million in 2022, according to the most recent set of accounts for parent company Roydon Holdings Ltd.
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