Jake Bell, trading as S&J Recycling, has been sentenced to 22 months in prison, suspended for two years, after he stockpiled waste at a site without a permit.
In June 2023, Environment Agency officers inspected Tresaddern Farm, St Columb, Cornwall.
They found mixed wastes in an area approximately 40 metres by 25 metres in piles, including treated wood, metal, plastics, appliances, cables, bin bags, rubble, soil, furniture, tiles, around 110 mattresses and numerous pallets.
There were also two flatbed trucks in the yard, and the officers found evidence that burning had taken place on site.
When Bell, 38, arrived on site, he said he was a licensed waste carrier, that it was his yard and that he collected waste and brought it back to the site.
He claimed he intended to put the waste into skips to be taken away, but it was very expensive to do so.
Bell repeatedly ignored warnings to clear the illegal recycling site and stop importing and transferring waste.
When officers carried out a follow-up inspection a month later, they discovered that reasonable progress had been made to clear waste from the area.
This was followed up in August with an EA request to Bell to provide documentation of where he had disposed of the waste, which was never provided.
An Environment Agency drone later located a site in Roche, St Austell, where there appeared to be a large amount of mixed waste. The registered landowner was traced, and he informed officers he was renting the land to S&J Recycling.
Bell pleaded guilty to three charges at Truro Magistrates Court and was sentenced to 22 months in prison, suspended for two years.
The man from St Austell was also ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work and pay costs of £480. He is also subject to a 7pm to 7am curfew for four months. He was also sentenced for an unrelated offence of causing actual bodily harm.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “Bell thought he could flout the law by operating an illegal site. Operating illegally undermines legitimate businesses, and our dedicated Area Enforcement Team won’t hesitate to go after such illegal activity.
“Customers paid good money to have their waste taken away, believing it was being disposed of legally, but instead he was just dumping it.”
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