Lancashire Company and Director Fined for Illegal Waste Exports

Environment Agency Latest News

Filed April 2nd, 2026

Detected April 4th, 2026

Summary

The Environment Agency prosecuted 3R Technology UK Ltd and Director Yulin Wang for illegally exporting contaminated plastic waste to Malaysia. The company was fined £80,000 with £45,000 costs and £2,000 victim surcharge; Wang received 120 hours unpaid community work plus £15,000 costs and £114 surcharge. They pleaded guilty to 16 charges involving waste shipments between April 2022 and February 2025.

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What changed

The Environment Agency secured convictions against 3R Technology UK Ltd and Director Yulin Wang for 16 offences of illegally exporting contaminated plastic waste falsely described as clean materials. The exports, totaling 14 containers shipped between April 2022 and February 2025, contained electrical waste including wiring and circuit boards. The company continued exporting even after two prohibition notices were served in August 2024. The company was ordered to pay £127,000 (fine + costs + surcharge), while Wang received 120 hours of community service and £15,114 in costs and surcharge.

Waste exporters must ensure proper classification, accurate descriptions, and proper notification and consent before international shipments. Companies should audit their waste classification procedures and export documentation to ensure compliance with international waste shipment regulations. The Environment Agency has announced a zero-tolerance approach to waste crime with enhanced enforcement measures.

What to do next

Review waste classification procedures to ensure accurate description of materials
Verify proper notification and consent procedures are in place before any international waste shipments
Conduct internal audit of waste export documentation and practices

Penalties

Company fined £80,000 plus £45,000 costs and £2,000 victim surcharge; Director sentenced to 120 hours unpaid community work plus £15,000 costs and £114 surcharge. Total penalties exceeding £142,000.

Source document (simplified)

Press release

Lancashire company and director fined for illegal exports

A company and its director have been ordered to pay more than £142,000 for illegally exporting contaminated plastic waste across the world to Malaysia.

From: Environment Agency Published 2 April 2026

Image shows the contaminated waste in one of the containers.

3R Technology UK Ltd, based at Longbridge Road in Preston, and Director Yulin Wang, 56, of Haighton Drive in Preston appeared at Preston Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 24 March where they pleaded guilty to 16 charges.

The court heard the company exported waste falsely described as clean plastic, when it was actually contaminated with electrical waste, including wiring and circuit boards and other mixed waste.

This meant the waste could not lawfully be exported without prior notification and consent.

Following an Environment Agency investigation, the company and Wang were charged with 14 offences related to shipments of contaminated plastic waste between April 2022 and February 2025, and two to breaching prohibition notices served in August 2024.

The company 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.

Image shows a close up of the contaminated waste.

Complete disregard for legislation

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.

Our officers work tirelessly to tackle waste criminals, and the outcome of this prosecution sends a message to others that we will not tolerate those breaching regulations.

We are coming down hard on criminals across the whole waste sector and they can expect to have action taken against them.
The court was told 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.

A 2022 spot check at Felixstowe 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 at Liverpool was found to have electrical waste tucked to the back of the container in efforts to conceal it, with the clean waste at the front.

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.

Last week, the government and Environment Agency announced a waste crime crackdown, unveiling a sweeping package of measures targeting illegal dumping.

The new Waste Crime Action Plan sets out a zero-tolerance approach, with action to prevent waste crime at its source by closing loopholes and equipping regulators with the tools they need to stop waste criminals.