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Straits Times
17-06-2025
- Straits Times
Sweden's 'Queen of Trash' jailed over toxic waste scandal
Waste management company Think Pink's former chief executive Bella Nilsson was sentenced to six years behind bars for 19 counts of 'aggravated environmental crime'. PHOTO: AFP STOCKHOLM - A court in Sweden on June 17 convicted 10 people of illegally dumping toxic waste, including a former stripper who once described herself as the 'Queen of Trash', in the country's biggest environmental crime trial. The five central figures in the case were handed prison sentences ranging from two to six years. Waste management company Think Pink was found guilty of dumping or burying some 200,000 tonnes of waste from the Stockholm area at 21 sites from 2015 to 2020, with no intention of processing it correctly. In a 692-page verdict, the Sodertorn district court sentenced Think Pink's former chief executive Bella Nilsson to six years behind bars for 19 counts of 'aggravated environmental crime'. Nilsson worked as a stripper and managed a sex club in Stockholm in the 1990s, getting convicted for accounting crimes in 1998. She wrote a memoire – A Stripper's Confession – before going on to win a prestigious award in 2018 for entrepreneurship with Think Pink. The four others received prison sentences ranging from two to four-and-a-half years. 'The group's waste management activities have posed risks – in certain instances, substantial risks – to both human health and the environment,' judge Niklas Schullerqvist wrote in a statement. 'There is no doubt that environmental offences were committed at the sites where the waste was handled.' Think Pink was hired by municipalities, construction companies, apartment co-operatives and private individuals to dispose of primarily building materials but also electronics, metals, plastics, wood, tyres and toys. But the firm left the piles of waste unsorted and abandoned, the court heard. High levels of toxic PCB compounds, lead, mercury, arsenic and other chemicals had been released into the air, soil and water, endangering the health of human, animal and plant life, the court found. Nilsson – who has now changed her name to Fariba Vancor – argued during the trial that Think Pink had 'followed the law'. During the proceedings, her lawyers rejected the prosecution's claim the company used falsified documents to mislead authorities, saying any wrongdoing was 'by mistake'. Her defence team was surprised by June 17's verdict. 'It was a little unexpected,' lawyer Jan Tibbling told daily Aftonbladet, adding: 'Of course we're not happy.' He said he had yet to speak to his client to discuss whether to lodge an appeal. Nilsson has insisted she is the victim of a plot by business rivals. A total of 11 people were charged in the case. Only one of the accused was acquitted: an eccentric entrepreneur who starred in a reality show about his over-the-top lifestyle, whom the court concluded had primarily served in a marketing role. In addition to Nilsson, the convicted included an environmental consultant accused of helping the company pass inspections, a 'waste broker', a transport organiser, five landowners, and Nilsson's ex-husband who co-founded the company and at one time served as its chief executive. The five central figures were ordered to pay 260 million kronor (S$35 million) in damages to several municipalities for clean-up and decontamination costs. One of the biggest claims was from the Botkyrka city council, where two Think Pink waste piles burnt for months in 2020 and 2021 after spontaneously combusting. One was near two nature reserves. The Kagghamra site, buried under sand to extinguish the fire, has only recently stopped burning. The trial opened in September 2024 after an investigation lasting several years and comprising more than 45,000 pages. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Qatar Tribune
17-06-2025
- Qatar Tribune
Sweden's ‘garbage queen' given jail term
dpa Copenhagen Sweden's self-proclaimed 'garbage queen' Fariba Vancor has been sentenced to six years in prison for 19 counts of serious environmental crimes, a court near Stockholm ruled on Tuesday. In one of the largest environmental scandals in Swedish history, seven defendants have been given jail terms, with Vancor handed the longest sentence for illegal waste dumping. Three others were given suspended sentences and fines. Prosecutors accused the defendants of illegally and recklessly dumping, burying, or using tens of thousands of tons of waste as filler material at 21 sites in central Sweden between 2015 and 2020. The garbage, dumped by one-heralded waste management company Think Pink, primarily consisted of construction debris. Vancor and several co-defendants were banned from conducting business for several years and ordered to pay damages estimated at 250 million Swedish kronor ($26 million) to, among others, the municipality of Botkyrka and the city of Västerås. Only one of the 11 defendants was acquitted due to the statute of limitations. The company's founder, chief executive and public face was Fariba Vancor, formerly known as Bella Nilsson. The company, whose trademark was pink rubbish bags, posed significant risks to human health and the environment, according to presiding judge Niklas Schüllerqvist. The waste management practices were described as severely deficient and flawed. All defendants had denied the charges. The verdict can be appealed to a higher court. (DPA)
Local Sweden
17-06-2025
- Local Sweden
Queen of Trash: Sweden convicts 10 people in its biggest environmental trial
A court in Sweden on Tuesday convicted 10 people of illegally dumping toxic waste, including a former stripper who once described herself as the "Queen of Trash", in the country's biggest environmental crime trial. Advertisement The five central figures in the case were handed prison sentences ranging from two to six years. Waste management company Think Pink was found guilty of dumping or burying some 200,000 tonnes of waste from the Stockholm area at 21 sites from 2015 to 2020, with no intention of processing it correctly. In a 692-page verdict, the Södertörn district court sentenced Think Pink's former chief executive Bella Nilsson to six years behind bars for 19 counts of "aggravated environmental crime". Nilsson worked as a stripper and managed a sex club in Stockholm in the 1990s, getting convicted for accounting crimes in 1998. She wrote a memoire – "A Stripper's Confession" – before going on to win a prestigious award in 2018 for entrepreneurship with Think Pink. The four others received prison sentences ranging from two to four-and-a-half years. "The group's waste management activities have posed risks – in certain instances, substantial risks – to both human health and the environment," judge Niklas Schullerqvist wrote in a statement. "There is no doubt that environmental offences were committed at the sites where the waste was handled." Think Pink was hired by municipalities, construction companies, apartment co-operatives and private individuals to dispose of primarily building materials but also electronics, metals, plastics, wood, tyres and toys. But the firm left the piles of waste unsorted and abandoned, the court heard. High levels of toxic PCB compounds, lead, mercury, arsenic and other chemicals had been released into the air, soil and water, endangering the health of human, animal and plant life, the court found. 'Unexpected' Nilsson – who has now changed her name to Fariba Vancor – argued during the trial that Think Pink had "followed the law". During the proceedings, her lawyers rejected the prosecution's claim the company used falsified documents to mislead authorities, saying any wrongdoing was "by mistake". Her defence team was surprised by Tuesday's verdict. "It was a little unexpected," lawyer Jan Tibbling told daily Aftonbladet, adding: "Of course we're not happy." Advertisement He said he had yet to speak to his client to discuss whether to lodge an appeal. Nilsson has insisted she is the victim of a plot by business rivals. A total of 11 people were charged in the case. Only one of the accused was acquitted: an eccentric entrepreneur who starred in a reality show about his over-the-top lifestyle, whom the court concluded had primarily served in a marketing role. In addition to Nilsson, the convicted included an environmental consultant accused of helping the company pass inspections, a "waste broker", a transport organiser, five landowners, and Nilsson's ex-husband who co-founded the company and at one time served as its chief executive. The five central figures were ordered to pay 260 million kronor ($27 million) in damages to several municipalities for clean-up and decontamination costs. Advertisement One of the biggest claims was from the Botkyrka city council, where two Think Pink waste piles burned for months in 2020 and 2021 after spontaneously combusting. One was near two nature reserves. The Kagghamra site, buried under sand to extinguish the fire, has only recently stopped burning. The trial opened in September 2024 after an investigation lasting several years and comprising more than 45,000 pages.
BBC News
17-06-2025
- BBC News
Fariba Vancor: Sweden's 'Queen of trash' jailed for waste dumping
A Swedish businesswoman who called herself the Queen of Trash has been sentenced to six years in prison in one of the country's biggest environmental crime Vancor, formerly known as Bella Nilsson, was convicted of 19 counts of "aggravated environmental crime" after her waste management company Think Pink illegally dumped toxic waste in locations across former CEO is one of 10 people to be convicted of environmental crimes, including her ex-husband Thomas of the accused were handed prison sentences ranging from two to six years and ordered to pay millions of pounds in damages to fund the massive clean-up operation. Think Pink was reportedly responsible for dumping or burying some 200,000 tonnes of waste in central Sweden between 2015 and was hired by local authorities, construction companies and private individuals to dispose of everything from building materials, electronics, metals, plastics, wood, tyres and instead of legally disposing of the waste, Think Pink buried or dumped it on sites including agricultural properties, court documents argued that Think Pink – which went bankrupt in 2020 when Vancor was arrested - had "no intention or ability to handle [the waste] in line with environmental legislation".The waste was found to contain various substances harmful to both human health and the environment, such as arsenic, lead, and one incident, a Think Pink waste pile near a nature reserve burned for two months after spontaneously combusting.A total of 11 people were charged in the case, with five convicted of serious charges and five of lesser charges. One person was acquitted - Leif-Ivan Karlsson, a TV personality who worked in a marketing role for Think of the defendants have been banned from business activities for between five and ten years, according to the court of the defendants denied wrongdoing. Throughout the trial, Vancor insisted that Think Pink had "followed the law", and any wrongdoing had occurred by mistake, AFP news agency defence lawyer Jan Tibbling told Swedish news outlet SVT that his client would appeal the verdict. "She believes she has done nothing wrong", he ex-husband Nilssen will also request that the verdict is reviewed, SVT reported. His lawyer previously argued that as chief executive before 2015, he was not in charge when the offences were court document states that the five main defendents must pay "around a quarter billion kronor in damages to Botkyrka and Vasteras municipalities among others" for the clean-up, which involves clearing away mountains of dumped waste as well as decontaminating the case has been described by Swedish media as the biggest environmental scandal in the country's recent history. In 2018, prior to the criminal investigation into Think Pink's practices, Vancor reportedly won a prestigious award for her according to SVT, prior to the investigation, the landfill sites managed by the company were increasingly criticised by those who lived couple, Eva and Willy Nowak, will be paid damages after a waste pile near their home in Botkyrka caught fire, exposing them to dangerous levels of lead, the public broadcaster reported."You shouldn't be able to throw rubbish in nature and make money from it," Mrs Nowak told SVT after the judgement was announced."Now they can sit and think about what they have done," she said.
The Guardian
17-06-2025
- The Guardian
Swedish ‘queen of trash' jailed for dumping hundreds of thousands of tons of toxic waste
A Swedish entrepreneur who once called herself the 'queen of trash' has been sentenced to six years in prison for illegally dumping hundreds of thousands of tons of toxic waste in the country's biggest ever environmental crime case. Fariba Vancor, previously known as Bella Nilsson and the former chief executive of waste management company Think Pink, was convicted on Tuesday of 19 counts of serious environmental crimes. Her ex-husband, Thomas Nilsson, was found guilty of 12 counts of serious environmental crimes and given a sentence of three years and six months in prison. Of the 11 people who went on trial in September, all but one of them were convicted of environmental crimes by the Södertörn district court in Huddinge, near Stockholm. Niklas Schüllerqvist, one of the judges in the case, said Think Pink's dumping had posed 'great risks to people and the environment' and compared the business to 'a kind of pyramid scheme'. 'Waste management has been deficient or incorrect to a significant extent. It has also caused environmental damage through emissions and, in some cases, great risks to people and the environment,' he said. 'There is therefore no doubt that there have been environmental crimes at the places where the waste has been handled.' Of the 11 on trial, five people, including Vancor and Nilsson, were sentenced to prison for between two and six years for serious environmental crimes and five others were sentenced to shorter prison sentences or suspended sentences for environmental crimes. The person who was acquitted was Think Pink's former chief executive, the TV personality Leif-Ivan Karlsson. The five main defendants were ordered to pay about a quarter of a billion kronor (£19m) in damages, including to Botkyrka municipality and the city of Västerås. The case was the largest ever handled by Sweden's national unit for environmental and work environment cases, involving a multi-year legal process and more than 80 days of hearings. The verdict was almost 700 pages long. 'It was a very extensive investigation – 150 witnesses and experts have been heard, as well as around 20 plaintiffs,' Schüllerqvist said. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion All defendants denied wrongdoing. Vancor's defence team said it was surprised by Tuesday's verdict. 'It was a little unexpected,' lawyer Jan Tibbling told the newspaper Aftonbladet, adding: 'Of course, we're not happy.' He said he had yet to speak to his client to discuss whether to lodge an appeal.
