Birmingham waste company to clear site and pay nearly £24,000
Environment Agency investigation ends in prosecution of company which ignored waste permit regulations and orders to stop operations on site in Birmingham.
A Birmingham waste company must pay a total of nearly £24,000 following a successful prosecution by the Environment Agency.
Greener Lifestyle Limited were also ordered to comply with a Remediation Order to remove all waste within 6 months from the site in Trent Street, Birmingham.
At Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 14 September 2026, the company pleaded guilty to 3 charges for failing to comply with environmental permit regulations and formal notices to stop waste operations.
The company was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £11,796.50 and a victim surcharge of £2,000.
The case followed a lengthy investigation by the Environment Agency into activities at the site. The company occupied the land in May 2025 and initially operated under registered waste exemptions.
However, Environment Agency inspections identified that the company was not complying with the conditions of those exemptions and they were de-registered. Despite this, waste operations continued without the required environmental permit.
Site visits by Environment Agency officers revealed that the site had accepted further waste. The company was ordered to stop but waste volume continued to increase.
This action by the Environment Agency is part of its 10 Point Plan for curbing waste crime including acting early to address illegal activity before it becomes established.
Credit: Environment Agency. Trent Street site in Birmingham.
Adam Lines, Area Environment Manager for the West Midlands Environment Agency, said:
This successful prosecution demonstrates our commitment to tackling illegal waste activity and holding operators to account when they fail to comply.
By securing a Remediation Order this will help ensure that the environmental issues at the site are addressed.
We will continue to work to protect communities, support legitimate businesses and take action where waste crime threatens the environment.
Reporting information to us as soon as possible means we can take swift action to intervene.
Call our 24/7 hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Background
In 2024/5, across the country, the Environment Agency successfully stopped activity at 743 illegal waste sites, of which 84 were in the West Midlands Area.
Waste Crime Action Plan: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-cracks-down-on-waste-crime-to-clean-up-streets-and-restore-pride-in-communities
Charges
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On and after 31 January 2026, Greener Lifestyle Limited failed, without reasonable excuse, to comply with a notice dated 23 October 2025 and served on the company pursuant to Section 59 (1) (a) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in that the company failed to remove controlled waste from land at 39 Trent Street, Birmingham, B5 5NL, contrary to Section 59 (5) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
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On and after 12 December 2025, Greener Lifestyle Limited failed, without reasonable excuse, to furnish to the Environment Agency with information required by a notice in writing dated 2 December 2025, and served on them pursuant to Section 71(2) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, contrary to Section 71 (3) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
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Between 29 July 2025 and 2 February 2026 at a site at 39 Trent Street, Birmingham, B5 5NL, did operate a regulated facility, namely a waste operation for the deposit, treatment, and storage of waste, except under and to the extent authorised by an environmental permit, contrary to Regulations 12 (1) (a) and 38 (1) (a) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.