Sweden’s ‘Queen of Trash’ Jailed for Massive Toxic Waste Dumping in Historic Environmental Crime Case

Sweden's 'Queen of trash' sentenced to prison

Swedish ‘Queen of Trash’ Sentenced to Six Years in Prison in Landmark Environmental Crime Case

Fariba Vancor, a Swedish businesswoman who branded herself the "Queen of Trash," has been sentenced to six years in prison after being found guilty of one of Sweden’s most significant environmental crime cases.

Formerly known as Bella Nilsson, Vancor was convicted on 19 counts of aggravated environmental crime for illegally dumping hundreds of thousands of tonnes of toxic waste across Sweden through her now-defunct waste management company, Think Pink. Her ex-husband, Thomas Nilsson, and eight others were also convicted in connection with the crimes. Five received prison terms of between two and six years.

According to court documents, Think Pink mishandled approximately 200,000 tonnes of waste between 2015 and 2020. The company had been contracted by municipalities, private citizens, and construction firms to dispose of building materials, electronics, metals, plastics, wood, tyres, and toys. Instead of following legal disposal procedures, the company buried or dumped the waste illegally on agricultural land and other unauthorized sites.

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

Among the dangerous substances found in the waste were arsenic, lead, and mercury—materials hazardous to both humans and the environment. In one case, a massive waste pile located near a nature reserve spontaneously combusted and burned for two months.

Prosecutors argued that Think Pink had “no intention or ability” to comply with environmental laws and regulations. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2020, coinciding with Vancor's arrest.

While 11 individuals were charged in total, only one—Leif-Ivan Karlsson, a television personality who worked in a marketing capacity for the company—was acquitted. Five others were found guilty of lesser charges. Several of those convicted have also been banned from engaging in business activities for five to ten years.

The court ordered the main defendants to pay roughly a quarter of a billion kronor in damages to municipalities including Botkyrka and Västerås to cover the costs of clean-up and decontamination efforts.

Throughout the trial, all defendants denied wrongdoing. Vancor maintained that any illegal activity was accidental, insisting, “Think Pink followed the law.” Her lawyer, Jan Tibbling, confirmed that she intends to appeal the ruling. Thomas Nilsson also plans to seek a review of the verdict, arguing that he was no longer CEO when the crimes occurred.

The case has been widely described as the largest environmental scandal in Sweden’s modern history. Before the investigation, Vancor had received accolades for her entrepreneurship in 2018. However, criticism from residents living near Think Pink’s landfill sites had been mounting even before the legal case began.

One affected couple, Eva and Willy Nowak, whose property in Botkyrka was exposed to hazardous fumes after a fire at a nearby Think Pink waste site, will receive compensation. “You shouldn’t be able to throw rubbish in nature and make money from it,” Mrs. Nowak said. “Now they can sit and think about what they have done.”