Steve Hillier has exhibited at the Royal Cornwall Show for three years and has received as many awards, two of which were gold.

This year, Steve and his company Mil-tek exhibited their “recycling solution” of air powered balers and received a silver medal.

Steve said: “I’m really pleased to be in the winner’s enclosure again, bearing in mind the number of entries from all areas of the agricultural industry.

“This is the leading show in our working calendar as it attracts business people from a wide range of sectors.”

The low-energy- consuming balers compress plastic bottles, hessian, soft plastic and cardboard and can reduce waste costs by up to 80%.

Landfill costs are currently £48 per ton and with landfill space in the South West running out at an alarming rate, Steve said that Cornwall is the hotspot for Mil-tek in the UK.

“Business growth this year has been phenomenal in Cornwall as waste prices are spiralling and businesses are looking for a long term solution.”

Steve said that once compressed the bales are worth up to £100 for cardboard and £250 for soft plastic.