A company and its director have been fined over £142,000 for illegally exporting contaminated plastic waste to Malaysia.
3R Technology UK Ltd exported waste falsely described as clean plastic, when it was actually contaminated with electrical waste, including wiring, circuit boards and other mixed waste.
A 2022 spot check led to the start of an investigation, with inspections confirming that all containers were significantly contaminated despite paperwork describing the waste as clean plastic.
In 2024, despite the ongoing investigation, an intercepted container was found to have electrical waste hidden at the back of the container behind clean waste.
Two prohibition notices were issued in August 2024, requiring the company to stop shipping contaminated plastic without compliance with the regulations.
Despite this, two further containers were exported and were found to contain heavily contaminated plastic waste.
3R Technology UK Ltd, based in Preston, and its Director, Yulin Wang, 56, were fined at Preston Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to 16 charges.
3R Technology UK was fined £80,000, ordered to pay costs of £45,000 and a victim surcharge of £2,000, while Wang was sentenced to 120 hours of unpaid work in the community, and ordered to pay costs of £15,000 and a victim surcharge of £114.
The charges related to the shipment of nine containers in April 2022, three in May and July 2024 and two in February 2025.
The international regime designed to regulate the movement of waste across borders means exporters must ensure the waste is properly classified, accurately described, and only exported with the proper notification and consent.
Commenting on the fines, Emma Viner, Enforcement and Investigations Manager at the Environment Agency, said: “Wang and his company had a complete disregard for the legislation in place to protect the environment and communities, deliberately flouting the law and ignoring notices to cease activity.”
