CleanScapes
CleanScapes is a Seattle-based streetscape maintenance and solid waste collection company serving the City of Seattle, King County, and surrounding jurisdictions. Operating as Recology King County, it delivers refuse, recycling, organics, and right-of-way services under municipal franchise and commercial contracts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1900
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What CleanScapes does
CleanScapes is a Seattle-based streetscape maintenance and solid waste collection company founded in 1997 and led by President and Founder Chris Martin. The company delivers municipal and commercial services — including refuse, recycling, organics, and right-of-way maintenance — to the City of Seattle, King County, and surrounding jurisdictions. Following its integration into Recology (operating locally as Recology King County), CleanScapes now sits inside one of the largest employee-owned waste platforms in the western United States, with the parent operating 26 collection companies across California, Oregon, and Washington serving more than 2.5 million residents and 100,000+ commercial customers.
The business operates on a regulated, contract-driven revenue model: CleanScapes is compensated through long-term municipal franchise agreements, commercial hauling contracts priced on container volume and frequency, and residential subscription billing through municipal solid-waste franchises. Its fleet infrastructure has been progressively transitioned to renewable fuel, reaching 95% renewable use in 2025 — three years ahead of internal targets — and the company has publicly committed to continued electrification and organics diversion through its 2026 Sustainability Update. Operational credentials include the 2026 NWRA Driver of the Year award and three additional National Waste & Recycling Association recognitions.
CleanScapes' strategic positioning rests on three pillars: a regulatory franchise moat in the Seattle metropolitan area, capital-intensive route density that deters new entrants, and the scale benefits of operating inside the Recology network. The principal risks are customer concentration in municipal contracts, exposure to regulatory shifts in low-carbon fuel and organics mandates, and the absence of documented AI/ML capability in an industry where route optimization and contamination detection are becoming increasingly data-driven.
CleanScapes firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CleanScapes
- Legal name
- Recology
- Website
- https://cleanscapes.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1900
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- CleanScapes is a Seattle-based streetscape maintenance and solid waste collection company serving the City of Seattle, King County, and surrounding jurisdictions. Operating as Recology King County, it delivers refuse, recycling, organics, and right-of-way services under municipal franchise and commercial contracts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CleanScapes industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Waste Management Services
- NAICS
- Solid Waste Collection (562111), Waste Collection (56211)
- SIC
- Refuse Systems (4953)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Street & Outdoor Cleaning Equipment (Street Sweepers, Litter Vacuums) (IMAHALAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Junk Removal & Disposal Coordination (HSAFAFAH)
Keywords
Where CleanScapes is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CleanScapes business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Waste Collection Services: Recology operates 26 collection companies providing integrated waste collection, recycling, and composting services to residential and commercial customers. Revenue is generated through service fees for waste collection and disposal.
- Commodities Recovery: The company recovers and sells recyclable commodities extracted from collected waste materials.
- Organics Products: Recology Organics division sells compost, mulch, and soil blend products derived from organic waste processing.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
CleanScapes product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CleanScapes provides streetscape maintenance and solid waste collection solutions across Seattle, Shoreline, Portland, and San Francisco. The company operates as part of an integrated resource recovery network offering waste collection, recycling, composting, and organics management services to municipal, commercial, and residential customers, and produces compost, mulch, and soil blend products through its organics division.
Product overview
Recology is a waste management and resource recovery company operating as a network of 26 collection companies serving over 2.5 million individuals and 100,000+ commercial customers across California, Oregon, and Washington. The company offers integrated waste collection services combined with recycling, composting, and organics management programs. The core product portfolio centers on waste collection and resource recovery, supported by specialized divisions including Recology Organics (which produces and sells compost, mulch, and soil blends), and community programs such as the Artist in Residence (AIR) Programs. The company positions itself around sustainability and waste elimination, with ongoing sustainability initiatives and public reporting on environmental progress.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Streetscape Maintenance Services Streetscape maintenance services delivered alongside solid waste collection to keep public and private streetscapes clean in Seattle, Shoreline, Portland, and San Francisco.
- Solid Waste Collection Services Integrated waste collection services for residential, commercial, and municipal customers across Seattle, Shoreline, Portland, and San Francisco, delivered through a network of collection companies.
- Recycling Services Resource recovery and recycling programs that process collected materials to divert waste from landfills and support circular economy initiatives for residential and commercial customers.
- Composting Services Organic waste composting programs that collect food and yard waste and transform them into usable soil amendments for residential and commercial customers.
- Compost Products Compost products derived from processed organic materials, sold through the Recology Organics division.
- Mulch Products Landscape mulch products derived from processed organic materials, sold through the Recology Organics division.
- Soil Blend Products Premium soil blend products created from composted organic materials, sold through the Recology Organics product line.
- Recovered Commodities Marketing and sale of recyclable commodities extracted from collected waste materials to support the circular economy.
Quantifiable outcome
- 95% renewable fuel usage achieved in 2025, three years ahead of 2028 target
Companies that use CleanScapes
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CleanScapes technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
CleanScapes partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA)coreRecology maintains membership and active participation in the National Waste & Recycling Association, with employees regularly recognized through NWRA awards programs for excellence in safety and customer service.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
CleanScapes competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Stericycle: Provider of regulated waste services including medical waste, secure information destruction, and compliance services; comparable as a regulated-waste operator but specialized in clinical streams rather than municipal MSW.
- Clean Harbors: North America's largest provider of environmental and industrial services including hazardous-waste collection and field services; adjacent peer in waste management but focused on regulated/hazardous streams rather than MSW.
- Waste Connections: Major North American solid waste operator with strong Pacific Northwest and Mountain West presence; pursues the same municipal collection contracts and benefits from similar route density economics.
- Waste Management, Inc. Largest North American solid waste hauler with national collection, recycling, and landfill operations; competes directly with CleanScapes/Recology on municipal franchise bids in Washington and Oregon.
- Republic Services: Second-largest U.S. solid waste company operating transfer stations, recycling centers, and municipal contracts across the West Coast; a primary incumbent competitor on regional franchise bids.
Direct peers
- Recology: CleanScapes' parent and largest direct competitor; operates 26 collection companies across California, Oregon, and Washington providing integrated waste, recycling, and composting services with the same employee-owned model.
Emerging players
- GreenWaste Recovery: California-based family-owned hauler serving San Jose and surrounding Bay Area with collection, recycling, and organics programs; comparable regional player focused on sustainability and organics recovery.
Regional players
- Casella Waste Systems: Regional Northeast U.S. solid waste hauler with a vertically integrated resource-recovery model; comparable in mid-scale regional haul and recycling concentration strategy, though geographically separate.
- Rumpke Waste & Recycling: Large privately-held regional hauler in the Midwest/Ohio Valley offering municipal collection, recycling, and organics services; comparable in regional scale and integration but does not directly compete geographically with CleanScapes.
Others
- Cedar Grove / Seattle Public Utilities contractor pool: Regional counterparties in the Pacific Northwest organics and MSW processing market; relevant adjacent ecosystem players (e.g., King County's Cedar Grove composting and other regional transfer-station operators) that share CleanScapes' customer base and competitive bidding pool.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
CleanScapes social profiles
Digital presenceCleanScapes financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CleanScapes leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
CleanScapes subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries28 records
CleanScapes funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CleanScapes M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CleanScapes
What does CleanScapes do?
CleanScapes provides streetscape maintenance and solid waste collection solutions across Seattle, Shoreline, Portland, and San Francisco. The company operates as part of an integrated resource recovery network offering waste collection, recycling, composting, and organics management services to municipal, commercial, and residential customers, and produces compost, mulch, and soil blend products through its organics division.
Is CleanScapes a public or private company?
CleanScapes is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was CleanScapes founded?
CleanScapes was founded in 1900. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is CleanScapes based?
CleanScapes is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does CleanScapes make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Waste Collection Services are the primary driver. The others are commodities Recovery and organics Products.
Who are CleanScapes's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Stericycle, Clean Harbors, Waste Connections, Waste Management, Inc. and Republic Services. Recology is listed as a direct peer. GreenWaste Recovery is listed as an emerging player. Regional players are Casella Waste Systems and Rumpke Waste & Recycling. Cedar Grove / Seattle Public Utilities contractor pool is listed as an others.
Does CleanScapes have an API?
No public API is recorded for CleanScapes.
What industry is CleanScapes in?
CleanScapes's product category is Waste Management Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHALAG, Street & Outdoor Cleaning Equipment (Street Sweepers, Litter Vacuums), with a secondary code of HSAFAFAH, Junk Removal & Disposal Coordination. Its NAICS code is 562111 and its SIC code is 4953.