Christian Astill of Penllergaer, Swansea, was sentenced at Swansea Magistrates’ Court after being prosecuted by Natural Resources Wales (NRW).
The court also ordered Astill to undertake up to 20 days of rehabilitation activity and complete 150 hours of unpaid work.
The offence related to the unauthorised deposit of waste at land known as Erw Las, Llwynhendy, near Llanelli, between February 2023 and June 2024.
The site had no environmental permit authorising waste activities.
Waste found across the site included household waste, construction and demolition materials, mattresses, electrical items, plastics, metal, tyres, furniture and other mixed waste.
Edward Davies, Waste Regulation Team Leader at NRW, said: “This case demonstrates that waste crime will not be tolerated in Wales.
“The waste permitting system exists to protect people, communities and the environment. Anyone who deposits, stores or manages waste must ensure they have the correct authorisations in place and comply with the law.
“In this case, substantial quantities of waste were deposited on land with no environmental permit despite repeated engagement by regulators.”
History of waste offences
During inspections carried out by NRW and Carmarthenshire County Council officers, significant quantities of waste were found deposited across the land.
Regulators intervened and requested that the waste be removed and the unauthorised activities cease. However, further waste was deposited despite these interventions.
NRW said its officers also experienced repeated aggressive and abusive behaviour from Astill during the investigation, with police required to attend regulatory visits.
The regulator subsequently took action to revoke Astill’s waste carrier licence because of concerns arising from his conduct and compliance history.
Astill had previous convictions for waste offences, including convictions in 2021 and 2023 for depositing controlled waste without an environmental permit.
These convictions were considered by the court alongside the seriousness and duration of the latest offending.
The court heard mitigation relating to periods of ill health experienced by Astill. However, the offending continued over an extended period, while the site remained unauthorised for waste operations throughout the relevant period.
Davies added: “Waste crime can blight communities, damage the environment and undermine legitimate operators who invest in complying with environmental regulations.
“We assess all reports of suspected waste crime and will take action where it is appropriate, proportionate and supported by the available evidence.”
The National Waste Crime Conference takes place on 3 November 2026 in London. The one-day event will bring together professionals from across enforcement, regulation, local government and the waste industry to examine the challenges posed by waste crime and the sector’s response to the new regulatory landscape. Find out more and secure your ticket here.
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