Cleanaway Waste Management

What Cleanaway Waste Management does

Cleanaway Waste Management Limited (ASX: CWY) is Australia's largest waste management, recycling, and resource recovery company, operating an integrated network of over 350 collection, recycling, treatment, and disposal sites with 6,400+ vehicles and 10,000+ employees nationwide. The company serves three core customer segments — small and medium enterprises, large businesses and industry, and municipal and local councils (approximately 140 council relationships) — through direct enterprise field sales, a 13 13 39 contact center, and direct consumer drop-off locations. Its operations are organized across Solid Waste Services (general waste, recycling, organics, landfill with gas capture) and Environmental and Technical Solutions, which encompasses oils and technical services, health services (Cleanaway Daniels), industrial services (Contract Resources), and liquid waste.

Cleanaway monetizes primarily through recurring, quote-based service contracts billed monthly across collection, treatment, and disposal. It generates additional revenue and margin from resource recovery and recycling (Circular Plastics Australia JVs with Pact Group, Asahi Beverages, and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners), Container Deposit Scheme network operations (TOMRA Cleanaway JV across NSW, Victoria West Zone, and Tasmania), oil re-refining at Category 1 facilities, and landfill gas-to-energy capture (37,000 homes powered in FY25). Strategic growth initiatives under Blueprint 2030 2.0 include Energy from Waste (a proposed A$1.5 billion Bromelton facility with 760,000-tonne annual capacity), advanced chemical recycling with Viva Energy (50,000 tonnes/year soft plastics via Cycleback), and fleet telematics (EROAD across 3,000+ heavy vehicles).

The business model combines subscription-style recurring services with project-based industrial work. In H1 FY26, Cleanaway reported net revenue of A$1,875.3 million (+13% YoY) and underlying EBIT of A$228.2 million (+16.9%), with FY26 underlying EBIT guidance upgraded to A$480-500 million. The Industrial Services segment delivered 164.2% EBIT growth following the July 2025 acquisition of Contract Resources (A$377M), and the Citywide Waste acquisition (A$110M, also July 2025) added Victoria's second-largest waste transfer station. The company is incorporated in Australia (ABN 74 101 155 220), led by CEO Mark Schubert (since May 2021), and operates with primary geographic exposure in Australia and selective exposure to New Zealand and the Middle East via Contract Resources.

Name

Cleanaway Waste Management

Legal name

Cleanaway Waste Management Limited

Website

https://cleanaway.com.au

Company type

Public

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Cleanaway Waste Management (ASX: CWY) is Australia's largest waste management and resource recovery company, providing collection, recycling, treatment, and disposal services to SMEs, large enterprises, and approximately 140 municipal councils across 350+ sites and 6,400+ vehicles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Waste Management Services

NAICS

Solid Waste Collection (562111), Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal (562211), Waste Collection (5621), Other Waste Collection (562119)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Hazardous Waste Management (4955), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Universal Waste Management (Batteries, Lamps, Mercury-Containing) (BPALAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Universal Waste Management (Batteries, Lamps, Mercury Devices, Aerosols) (BPALAFAJ), Bulky Waste & White Goods Drop-Off/Transfer (BPALABAE), Hazardous Waste & Universal Waste Handling (Batteries, Lamps, Aerosols) (BPABALAE), Medical & Biohazardous Waste Management (RMW, Sharps, Pathological) (EUAIAFAE)

Keywords

• Waste management services
• Recycling and resource recovery
• Industrial cleaning services
• Hazardous waste disposal
• Liquid waste collection

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Solid Waste Collection and Disposal: Collection, recycling, treatment, and disposal of solid waste including general waste, putrescible waste, inert waste, household waste, and construction and demolition waste.
2. Industrial Services: Industrial cleaning, maintenance, decommissioning, and shutdown services for mining, energy, oil and gas, manufacturing, and infrastructure sectors through Contract Resources acquisition.
3. Health Services: Medical, pharmaceutical, and healthcare waste management including clinical waste, sharps disposal, pharmaceutical waste, and biosecurity waste through Cleanaway Daniels brand.
4. Oils and Technical Services: Collection, processing, refining, recycling, and destruction of hazardous and non-hazardous liquids, hydrocarbons, used oils, and chemical waste.
5. Liquid Waste Management: Collection, transport, treatment, and disposal of liquid waste including oily water, solvents, washwater, septic and sewerage waste.
6. Energy from Waste: Waste-to-energy incinerator projects including the proposed $1.5 billion Bromelton Energy and Resource Centre near Beaudesert, Queensland, and Parkes waste-to-energy facility.
7. Container Deposit Schemes: TOMRA Cleanaway joint venture operating Container Deposit Schemes in NSW, Victoria West Zone, and Tasmania.
8. Circular Plastics Processing: Processing of recycled PET, HDPE, and PP through Circular Plastics Australia joint ventures with Pact Group, Asahi Beverages, and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cleanaway Waste Management is Australia's largest waste management company, providing comprehensive collection, recycling, treatment, and disposal services for solid waste, hazardous waste, liquid waste, oils, and healthcare waste. The company operates 350+ sites and 6,400+ vehicles serving councils, large businesses, SMEs, and industrial customers with resource recovery, circular economy solutions, and industrial services including shutdown management and decontamination.

Product overview

Cleanaway Waste Management operates as a comprehensive waste management and resource recovery platform offering end-to-end solutions across two major segments: Solid Waste Services and Environmental and Technical Solutions. The Solid Waste Services segment provides general waste collection and disposal, recycling services, organic waste management, and landfill operations with gas capture for energy generation. The Environmental and Technical Solutions segment encompasses Oils and Technical Services (hazardous and non-hazardous liquid waste, oil recycling), Health Services (Cleanaway Daniels sub-brand for medical/healthcare waste including Sharpsmart containers), and Industrial Services (Contract Resources brand for industrial cleaning, decontamination, and shutdown services). Key strategic initiatives include Energy from Waste projects, Circular Plastics Australia joint ventures (PET and PE recycling), TOMRA Cleanaway Container Deposit Scheme operations, and Cycleback Plastics chemical recycling. The company also offers supporting services including Cleanaway Equipment Services (parts washers), grease trap services, waste audits, fleet telematics, and the Greenius e-learning platform. The Blueprint 2030 2.0 strategy guides operations across these integrated service lines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cleanaway Daniels: Healthcare waste service brand providing medical, pharmaceutical and biohazardous waste management solutions
• TOMRA Cleanaway
• Circular Plastics Australia (CPA)
• Contract Resources

Products and services

• General Waste Collection and Disposal

Quantifiable outcome

• 37,000 average Australian homes powered by landfill gas-generated energy in FY25
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Viva EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership focused on Cycleback Plastics chemical recycling for soft plastics (50,000 tonnes/year), used cooking oil to biobased polypropylene, HVO100 trials achieving 91% emissions reduction, and hydrogen truck trials using Viva Energy's Geelong hydrogen hub.
• Circular Plastics Australia (PE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2023Joint venture with Pact Group operating facility at Laverton North, Victoria. Processes over 20,000 tonnes of HDPE and PP annually, equivalent to over half a billion plastic milk bottles and food tubs per year, into food and non-food-grade resins.
• Circular Plastics Australia (PET)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2020Joint venture with Pact Group, Asahi Beverages, and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners to build domestic circular plastics supply chain. Cleanaway provides at-scale collections and sorting through MRF and CDS operations. Facilities opened in Albury (FY22) and Altona North (FY24) with 56,000 tonnes annual capacity.
• TOMRA CleanawaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2017Joint venture with TOMRA for Container Deposit Scheme operations, bringing together TOMRA's reverse vending technology and Cleanaway's national resource recovery network. Operates networks in NSW, Tasmania, and Victoria West Zone, providing accessible collection points supported by advanced automation and reliable logistics.
• EROADsupportingTechnology or IntegrationFleet management telematics provider with five-year agreement to deploy EROAD's technology across Cleanaway's Australian fleet of over 3,000 heavy vehicles for compliance tracking and fleet optimization.
• Wentworth Shire CouncilsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership to deliver 3-bin kerbside collection service starting October 2026, processing food and garden waste, recyclables, and general waste for households in Wentworth Shire, NSW.
• TOMRAcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for reverse vending machines in Container Deposit Schemes, enabling consumers to return eligible containers for electronic refund through TOMRA's automated collection systems.
• Pact GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner in Circular Plastics Australia joint ventures for PET and PE recycling, creating closed-loop plastic recycling supply chain with Cleanaway providing collection and sorting capabilities.
• Asahi BeveragescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Circular Plastics Australia PET joint venture contributing to domestic circular plastics supply chain.
• Coca-Cola Europacific PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Circular Plastics Australia PET joint venture contributing to domestic circular plastics supply chain.
• Halve WastesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional program partnered with Wentworth Shire Council to deliver 3-bin kerbside collection service, aiming to improve resource recovery and reduce landfill waste.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bingo Industries: Bingo Industries (now part of Macquarie Asset Management after a 2022 take-private) is a major Australian waste management and recycling company operating in NSW and Victoria. Direct competitor in construction and demolition waste, transfer stations, and resource recovery.
• Suez Recycling and Recovery Australia: Suez (now owned by Veolia) previously operated two landfills and five transfer stations in Sydney that Cleanaway acquired for A$501M in 2021, evidencing direct overlap in Sydney's municipal waste market. The two companies have historically competed head-to-head on council contracts and industrial services.
• Veolia Australia and New Zealand: Veolia ANZ is Australia's largest direct competitor to Cleanaway, offering municipal waste collection, industrial services, hazardous waste management, and resource recovery across the same geography and customer base. Multiple Cleanaway executives (including the EGM of Energy from Waste) previously held senior roles at Veolia, signalling direct overlap in capabilities and customers.
• Remondis Australia: Remondis is a German-headquartered waste management group with significant Australian operations in municipal collections, recycling, and industrial services. Scaled peer with comparable geographic coverage and customer mix to Cleanaway, competing for council contracts and commercial accounts.
• JJ Richards & Sons: JJ Richards is one of Australia's largest privately-held waste management companies, providing general waste, recycling, and liquid waste services to commercial, industrial, and municipal customers. Closest privately-held comparable to Cleanaway in terms of service breadth and customer profile.

Broad incumbents

• Waste Management, Inc. (WM): WM is the largest waste management company in North America with global landfill, collection, and recycling operations. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the same industry, with similar customer segments (municipal, commercial, industrial) but operating at far greater scale and in different geographies.
• Republic Services, Inc. Republic Services is a top US waste hauler and recycling company with comparable municipal solid waste, recycling, and organics operations. Broad incumbent in the same industry with similar business model of subscription-based collection plus landfill/resource recovery.
• Suez (Veolia Environment): Veolia Environment (parent of Suez post-2022 merger) is one of the world's largest environmental services companies, with comparable global waste management, water, and energy services. Broad incumbent with overlapping capabilities for benchmarking scale, capital intensity, and ESG positioning.

Emerging players

• Stericycle, Inc. Stericycle is a US-listed specialist in medical waste, sharps disposal, and compliance services, directly comparable to Cleanaway's Cleanaway Daniels healthcare sub-brand. Focused on regulated waste streams where Cleanaway is one of the few Australian competitors.
• Trio Resources (AMA / Hi-Q Group): Trio Environmental and adjacent AMA/Hi-Q brands operate liquid waste, hazardous waste, and industrial services in Australia, with a smaller footprint than Cleanaway. Comparable in service line to Cleanaway's Environmental and Technical Solutions segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CleanawayAU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cleanawayau
• Instagraminstagram.com/cleanawayau
• Xx.com/cleanawayau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cleanaway Waste Management