Cleanaway
| Company type | Public company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Waste management |
| Predecessor | Purle Group’s Australian waste operations (acquired by Brambles in 1970) |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Founder | Brambles |
| Headquarters | Australia , Australia |
Area served | Australia |
| Products | Waste disposal, recycling, healthcare waste management, landfill management, waste-to-energy conversion |
Number of employees | 6,300+ (2021) |
Cleanaway Waste Management Limited is an Australian company specializing in waste management, established in 1979 by Brambles, with a broad operational footprint throughout Australia.
History
Brambles ventured into the waste services industry in 1970 by acquiring Purle Group’s Australian waste operations, and Cleanaway began trading under that name in 1979. During the 1990s, Cleanaway expanded its reach into Europe by purchasing companies in the Netherlands, Germany, and the United Kingdom. By 2003, its UK division employed over 8,000 individuals. The German segment was divested in 2005, and Veolia took over Cleanaway UK in 2006.
In June 2006, Brambles divested Cleanaway to KKR, which subsequently sold it to Transpacific Industries in May 2007. Founded in 1987, Transpacific Industries experienced growth through both organic means and strategic acquisitions. For ten years, the two brands operated independently. In September 2013, Transpacific’s Commercial Vehicles Group was sold to the Penske Automotive Group.
By late 2015, the business rebranded as Cleanaway Waste Management, retiring the Transpacific brand. In May 2018, it acquired Tox Free Solutions along with its subsidiary Daniels Health.
In 2019, Cleanaway invested $66 million to acquire SKM Recycling Group’s assets, including materials recovery facilities and transfer stations located in Victoria and Tasmania. These facilities were restored by February 2020 and featured a plastic sorting plant producing high-quality polymer grades suitable for resale or pelletizing. SKM had encountered financial challenges following regulatory constraints related to recycling stockpile fires. Later that year, Cleanaway further strengthened its presence in regional Victoria by acquiring Statewide Recycling.
In April 2021, Cleanaway agreed to purchase the Sydney operations of Suez Environnement as part of the merger between Suez and Veolia.
As of June 2021, Cleanaway employed more than 6,300 staff members operating over 5,300 trucks from upwards of 250 branches and various fixed facilities. It is recognized as Australia’s largest waste management company.
Incidents
On 15 May 2000, a fatal accident occurred at Cleanaway UK's Ellesmere Port toxic waste incinerator when over a tonne of concrete fell during maintenance work, killing one worker and severely injuring another. The company was found guilty of health and safety violations and fined £200,000 plus £135,000 in legal costs.
Cleanaway's UK subsidiary became the first organization ordered to pay damages under the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 after a gay manager resigned due to ongoing harassment. This case attracted considerable media coverage; The Guardian described it as a landmark decision while Stonewall emphasized its significance for workplace discrimination policies.
In April 2017, Cleanaway received a $650,000 fine following a fire at a chemical waste facility that caused serious injuries to an employee. The presiding judge criticized Cleanaway for inadequate communication regarding both the trial and details about the chemical involved. This penalty was the highest imposed under a Comcare prosecution to that date.
In August 2014, a collision involving a Cleanaway sewage tanker on the South Eastern Freeway resulted in two fatalities after impacting multiple vehicles. In response, Cleanaway grounded its fleet of approximately 2,800 trucks for safety inspections, causing disruptions to waste collection services. The driver involved was new to manual transmission vehicles and unfamiliar with that section of road; he lost control after passing arrestor beds. Faulty brakes were identified as contributing factors. In 2021, Cleanaway was convicted on eight health and safety charges connected to this incident.
In May 2020, a vivasol leak from one of Cleanaway’s facilities in Queanbeyan polluted the Molonglo River, with a subsequent discharge occurring the following month. The New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA) charged Cleanaway with two offenses related to water pollution and delayed reporting. EPA inspections across 27 Cleanaway sites revealed widespread compliance problems; three locations were fined $31,500 for poor recordkeeping and improper waste storage practices, including repeat violations. Following these findings, the EPA criticized Cleanaway’s operational management standards.
Products and services
In addition to handling general waste disposal, recycling, and healthcare waste management, Cleanaway manages several landfills, waste transfer stations, and material recovery facilities throughout Australia. The company also transforms a portion of the waste into energy and other useful materials.
Cleanaway has put forward plans for an energy-from-waste plant in Western Sydney, designed to convert leftover kerbside waste into energy. In April 2021, the company introduced Greenius, a complimentary online educational platform focused on enhancing recycling habits among residents.
Joint ventures
In 2007, Cleanaway collaborated with Veolia to acquire EarthPower, an organic food waste treatment facility that employs anaerobic digestion technology to generate green electricity from food waste.
The partnership between TOMRA and Cleanaway manages New South Wales' container deposit program known as Return and Earn. TOMRA provides the reverse vending machines, while Cleanaway is responsible for the collection and processing of containers. By February 2021, the program had facilitated the return of more than 5 billion containers. Additionally, this partnership was appointed as the network operator for the container deposit scheme covering western Victoria and western Melbourne in April 2023.
On 19 February 2020, Cleanaway entered into a joint venture with Asahi Breweries and Pact Group Holdings to establish a plastic pelletising plant projected to handle up to 28,000 tonnes of plastic bottles and packaging annually. This facility operates under the name Circular Plastics Australia (PET).