Resource Recovery Australia

What Resource Recovery Australia does

Resource Recovery Australia (RRA) is a certified not-for-profit social enterprise and registered charity, founded in 1991 and headquartered in Tuncurry, New South Wales. Operating under the umbrella of parent Community Resources Ltd, RRA delivers waste management and resource recovery services in partnership with local councils across NSW, Queensland, the Northern Territory, and Victoria. Its core service portfolio includes full site management of transfer stations, weighbridges, and landfills; the Reviva Reuse Shop chain of second-hand retail outlets; Community Recycling Centres for household problem waste; the Mobile Community Recycling Service (MCRS), the first NSW EPA-approved mobile collection service for problem waste; Container Deposit Scheme processing via the Tuncurry Return and Earn depot; educational reuse workshops branded The Tinkerage; and the Deadly Treadly bike-rehoming program.

The underlying operating model, branded #WASTE2WAGES, combines environmental diversion with social impact by employing people facing barriers to work. FY2025 output was 12,252 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill, 209 employment opportunities provided, 4,069 training and development outcomes, and 140,437 customers served at Reviva Reuse Shops. RRA operates 11+ physical sites across four states, with three new council contracts added in 2025-2026 (Reviva Darwin NT in 2025; Wallan and Seymour in Mitchell Shire VIC in March 2026; and eight Clarence Valley NSW facilities from May 2026, creating 22 local jobs). Revenue is generated through managed-service contracts with local councils and second-hand retail; specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. RRA does not develop proprietary technology platforms; its operational capabilities centre on physical site operations, retail, and community engagement rather than software, and the organization achieved ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certifications via SAI Global in 2025.

Name

Resource Recovery Australia

Legal name

Resource Recovery Australia

Website

https://resourcerecovery.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Resource Recovery Australia is a not-for-profit social enterprise that partners with local councils across NSW, QLD, NT, and VIC to deliver waste management, resource recovery, and Reuse Shop retail, creating employment for people facing barriers to work via its #WASTE2WAGES model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Waste Management and Resource Recovery Services

NAICS

Materials Recovery Facilities (562920), Waste Collection (56211), Materials Recovery Facilities (56292)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Recycling Transfer & Consolidation (Single-Stream, Dual-Stream, Source-Separated) (EUAIABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Asset Recovery, Surplus & Decommissioning Services (EUAIANAD), Consumer E-waste Collection & Take-Back Programs (EUAIAIAA), On-site Recycling Programs (Single-Stream, Source-Separated) (BPABALAB), Donation Pickup & Reuse Hauling (HSAKALAI)

Keywords

• Waste management services
• Resource recovery
• Recycling services
• Reuse retail
• Community recycling centres

Headquarters

HQ city

Tuncurry

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Council Contracts: RRA operates under contract agreements with local councils to provide waste management services including transfer station operations, community recycling centres, reuse shops, and container deposit schemes. Revenue is generated through these service contracts rather than direct customer sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Resource Recovery Australia delivers waste management and resource recovery services across Australia, operating reuse shops, kerbside collections, community recycling centres, container deposit scheme return points, mobile recycling services, and repair workshops for local councils, governments, businesses, and community members. The organization also provides consultancy and community engagement services to support circular-economy and waste-diversion outcomes.

Product overview

Resource Recovery Australia is a not-for-profit social enterprise operating a portfolio of waste management and resource recovery services across Australia. The core offering consists of Reviva Reuse Shops (second-hand retail), comprehensive Waste Management Services (transfer stations, landfills, weighbridges), Community Engagement programs, and Consultancy Services. Supporting services include the Mobile Community Recycling Service (MCRS), Community Recycling Centres, Waste and Resource Recovery processing, Container Deposit Scheme operations, and The Tinkerage workshops. The Deadly Treadly program focuses on bike rescue. All services are delivered through a #WASTE2WAGES model that creates employment for people facing barriers to work while diverting waste from landfill.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Reviva Reuse Shops: Community reuse and recycling shops offering quality second-hand goods, from everyday items to unique vintage treasures, giving household goods and materials a second life.
• The Tinkerage
• Deadly Treadly

Products and services

• Reviva Reuse Shops

Quantifiable outcome

• 12,252 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill in FY2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Clarence Valley CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026RRA appointed to manage eight waste and resource recovery facilities across Clarence Valley including Grafton, Maclean, Copmanhurst, Glenreagh, Tyringham, Baryulgil, Iluka, and Minnie Water. Expected to create 22 local jobs. Transition began May 2026.
• Mitchell Shire CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Reviva Reuse Shops at Seymour and Wallan Resource Recovery Centres opening March 2026. Creating up to 9 local jobs through #WASTE2WAGES model.
• Noosa Shire CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership supporting Noosa's 52% landfill diversion target through Reviva Reuse Shop and waste management services. Contributing to National Waste Policy goals.
• City of Moreton Bay CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Redcliffe and Dayboro Transfer Stations operations with decontamination of garden organics services.
• Rockhampton Regional CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages Lakes Creek Road Waste Management Facility and Gracemere Waste Facility. Supporting 90% waste diversion goal by 2040. Achieved 4,266 tonnes diversion in FY25.
• Midcoast CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple site operations across Tuncurry, Taree, Bulahdelah, Tea Gardens, and Stroud including Return and Earn Container Deposit Scheme depot.
• Shellharbour City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport for The Tinkerage workshop at Reviva Dunmore providing community education on circular economy. Reviva Dunmore serves as community hub.
• Cumberland City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMobile Community Recycling Service partnership for problem waste collection from residents.
• Blacktown City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMobile Community Recycling Service partnership expanding to Blacktown in 2019 for problem waste collection.
• City of ParramattacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMobile Community Recycling Service partnership for Western Sydney.
• City of DarwincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Reviva Darwin at Shoal Bay Waste Management Facility opened 2025. Celebrating first year with 35,000+ customers and 340 tonnes diverted.
• Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association Australia (WMRR)minorOthersPeak industry body membership supporting waste management sector standards.
• Social TradersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial enterprise certification and advocacy organization supporting RRA's social enterprise model.
• Mission AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial services partner supporting employment pathways for people facing barriers.
• Max EmploymentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployment services partner connecting job seekers with RRA opportunities.
• NSW Communities and JusticeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner supporting social outcomes and employment programs.
• Queensland Corrective ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting employment pathways for people transitioning from corrective services.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves19 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Boomerang Alliance: Australian advocacy alliance for waste reduction, container deposit schemes, and plastic pollution policy. Not a direct operational peer but a key ecosystem player whose policy advocacy drives demand for RRA's services.
• TOMRA Cleanaway: Network operator for NSW's Return and Earn Container Deposit Scheme. Listed as a strategic industry partner of RRA and comparable in operating container deposit depots at council resource recovery centres.

Broad incumbents

• Veolia Australia and New Zealand: Global waste management major operating resource recovery, recycling, and transfer infrastructure across Australia. Direct competitor on council resource-recovery tenders with significantly broader geographic and technical coverage.
• Suez Recycling and Recovery Australia: Major waste and resource recovery operator (now part of Veolia group) operating recycling and recovery facilities across Australia. Competes for council contracts with broader service portfolio and automated sorting capacity.
• Cleanaway Waste Management: Australia's largest listed waste management company operating transfer stations, MRFs, and CDS depots. Competes for the same council tenders but at vastly greater scale, with no social-employment mandate.

Direct peers

• Reverse Garbage Queensland: Australian not-for-profit reuse and recycling co-op operating reuse shops and education programs. Highly comparable model combining waste diversion with community outcomes, with overlapping geography in Queensland.
• The Bower Reuse and Repair Centres: Sydney-based not-for-profit operating reuse shops and repair workshops with employment pathways for disadvantaged workers. Directly comparable social-enterprise waste/reuse model with overlapping council partnership structure.
• Close the Loop: Australian social enterprise focused on recycling e-waste and printer consumables into new products. Comparable Australian social-enterprise model with similar council and corporate procurement channels.
• Soft Landing: Sister social enterprise under Community Resources Ltd (RRA's parent) focused on mattress recycling. Shares governance, employment pathways, and council-relationship model, making it a direct operational analogue.

Regional players

• JR Richards & Sons: Regional Australian waste and recycling operator active in NSW and QLD. Listed industry partner of RRA and competes in regional council tenders with comparable transfer station and resource recovery offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ResourceRecoveryAustralia
• Xx.com/RRecoveryAU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/resource-recovery-australia

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Resource Recovery Australia