CLARA

What CLARA does

CLARA S.p.A. (also operating as Clara Ambiente) is a municipally-owned Italian waste management public utility headquartered in Copparo, province of Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna. The company was formed on March 24, 2017, from the merger of Area S.p.A. and CMV Raccolta, with operations commencing June 1, 2017, and is currently the third-largest waste management operator in Emilia-Romagna by size. CLARA holds exclusive service contracts with 19 of the 21 municipalities in the province of Ferrara, serving approximately 120,000 domestic users, 13,500 non-domestic (commercial/industrial) users, and roughly 200,000 residents across nearly 2,000 square kilometers. The share capital is €2,442,320, and the company is owned by its 19 constituent municipalities.

CLARA's core offering is the integrated door-to-door (porta a porta) municipal waste collection and recycling system, combining scheduled kerbside collection, smart street bins (cassoni intelligenti) with electronic RFID-based access, inter-municipal collection centers (Centri di Raccolta), itinerant Ecomobile collection, and modular Ecomoduli flexibility islands. The technology stack includes RFID-tagged containers enabling measured (pay-per-use) billing in select municipalities, Bluetooth/GPS-enabled smart bins, and the Junker mobile application (a third-party consumer app) for waste identification, bin access, and abandoned-waste geolocation reporting. Supporting digital infrastructure includes the Portale Richiesta Servizi (service request portal), Sportello Online (billing/invoicing portal), Portale Pratiche Utenza (TARI account management), and Portale Reclami (complaints portal). Adjacent programs include PianetaClara (school environmental education across all 19 municipalities), the 'I farmaci che non usi' pharmacy drug-donation program (57 participating pharmacies as of 2026), Humana textile collection, and asbestos/on-demand bulky-waste and green-waste pickup services.

CLARA's revenue model is primarily a regulated, recurring waste tariff (TARI / Tariffa Corrispettiva) set by municipal council resolution, structured as a fixed component (based on property square meters and household composition) plus a variable component (based on measured or estimated waste volume). Transaction-based revenue from on-demand bulky-waste and green-waste collections, green-waste subscriptions, and the new Comacchio VALE tourist-area services provides a secondary stream. Go-to-market is non-commercial: as a public-utility concessionaire, customer acquisition is contractually assigned by the 19 shareholder municipalities rather than sold; the company delivers service through door-to-door routes, multiple digital portals, a toll-free customer-service number (800 88.11.33), and physical service desks in Copparo, Cento, Comacchio, and Porto Garibaldi. Distribution is direct-to-consumer/institution, with no reseller channel and no competitive sales motion.

Name

CLARA

Legal name

CLARA S.p.A.

Website

https://clarambiente.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CLARA S.p.A. is a municipally-owned Italian waste management utility providing door-to-door collection, smart-bin systems, and recycling services to 19 municipalities in the province of Ferrara, serving roughly 133,500 domestic and non-domestic users across 2,000 km².

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Waste Management Services

NAICS

Solid Waste Collection (562111), Waste Collection (5621)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Curbside MSW Collection (BPALAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Commercial & Institutional MSW Collection (BPALAAAB), Roll-Off / Containerized MSW Collection (Commercial & Industrial) (EUAIAAAD), Commercial & Office Waste Collection (Non-hazardous) (EUAIAGAA)

Keywords

• Municipal waste collection
• Door-to-door collection
• Recycling services
• Smart waste bins
• On-demand bulky waste pickup

Headquarters

HQ city

Copparo

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Waste Tariff (TARI/Tariffa Corrispettiva): CLARA generates revenue through regulated waste tariffs charged to domestic and non-domestic users across 19 municipalities. The tariff consists of a fixed component (covering infrastructure and administrative costs) and a variable component (based on waste volume or measured quantities). In some municipalities (Tresignana and Riva del Po), a Tariffa su Misura (pay-per-use) model applies based on measured waste disposal.
2. On-demand Collection Services: Additional paid services including bulky waste collection, green waste collection, and special waste collection (asbestos) delivered at customer request, with pricing based on vehicle size and service type

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CLARA S.p.A. is a municipal waste management utility that provides door-to-door collection (porta a porta) of sorted waste, smart street bin systems, on-demand bulky and special waste pickups, inter-municipal recycling centers, and digital customer portals for tariff management across 19 municipalities in the province of Ferrara, Italy. Services are funded through regulated TARI tariffs (fixed and variable/measured components) and supplementary fees for on-demand pickups, with access managed via RFID-tracked containers, the Junker mobile app, and ComacchioVALE / Ecotessera cards.

Product overview

CLARA S.p.A. is a municipal waste management company serving 19 municipalities in the province of Ferrara (Emilia-Romagna), serving approximately 120,000 domestic and 13,500 non-domestic users across ~2,000 km². The core offering is the Raccolta Rifiuti waste collection and management system, combining door-to-door collection (porta a porta), street smart bin collection (Comacchio VALE system), scheduled on-demand pickups, inter-municipal recycling centers (Centri di Raccolta), and special waste handling (asbestos, medications, textiles). CLARA operates a suite of digital service portals: Portale Richiesta Servizi (for booking pickups and managing subscriptions), Sportello Online / Fattura On Line (for tariff management and electronic invoicing), Portale Pratiche Utenza (for opening/closing TARI accounts), and Portale Reclami (for complaints). The Comacchio VALE project represents CLARA's flagship integrated system for the Comacchio coastal area, combining smart bins (cassoni intelligenti), Ecomoduli (flexibility islands), door-to-door collection, and Junker app integration. Supporting offerings include Pianeta Clara (environmental education for schools), the 'Farmaci in Farmacia' drug donation program, and Humana used-clothing collection. The Ecomoduli (Isole di Flessibilizzazione) are modular smart collection units supplementing door-to-door collection across the service territory.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Comacchio VALE: A communication campaign and project for the new waste collection system in the Comacchio municipality area, launched in 2024-2025 to transform waste collection services across the seven Lidi and surrounding areas.
• Pianeta Clara
• Junker App / Clara Key
• Ecomoduli

Products and services

• CLARA — Raccolta Rifiuti (Door-to-Door Waste Collection & Management) Core municipal waste collection and management service covering 19 municipalities in the province of Ferrara, serving approximately 120,000 domestic and 13,500 non-domestic users across nearly 2,000 km². Includes door-to-door collection (porta a porta) of organic, paper, plastic, glass, and residual waste; street smart-bin collection; on-demand pickups; recycling centers; and special waste handling.
• Comacchio VALE — Integrated Waste Collection System Integrated waste collection system deployed across the seven Lidi of Comacchio and the surrounding municipality, combining street-level smart bins for organic and residual waste, door-to-door collection for paper, plastic, and green waste, Ecomoduli flexibility islands, and access via the Junker app or ComacchioVALE card. Designed for residents and seasonal tourists in the Comacchio coastal area.
• Portale Richiesta Servizi (Service Request Portal) Web-based service portal for customers to book on-demand pickups (bulky items, green waste, asbestos), request container changes, subscribe to or cancel composting service, manage diaper/sanitary aid collection, and request emptying of special containers. Available at portaleclara.dbw.ies.it.
• Sportello Online / Fattura On Line Online customer portal enabling users to check their TARI tariff position, view and download invoices, check payment status, download compliant copies, pay by credit card, and activate electronic invoicing.
• Ecomoduli (Isole di Flessibilizzazione) Smart modular waste collection structures installed across the territory to supplement door-to-door collection, allowing residents to dispose of sorted waste (paper, plastic, mixed waste) outside scheduled collection days. Each Ecomodulo supports multiple waste fractions and is accessed via Ecotessera CLARA or the Junker app. 16 new units installed from November 2025 across municipalities including Goro, Cento, Mirabello, and Comacchio Lidi.
• Centri di Raccolta Intercomunali (Inter-municipal Recycling Centers) Controlled-access recycling centers (Ecocenters) accepting bulky items, WEEE, green waste, hazardous household waste, pharmaceuticals, used clothing, and construction debris. Most centers are inter-municipal (accessible by users from all 19 municipalities); the Comacchio center is municipality-specific. Managed through a booking/barcode system.
• Progetto 'I Farmaci che Non Usi Riportali in Farmacia' Drug donation and collection program in collaboration with social enterprise Last Minute Market and Federfarma Ferrara. Citizens donate unused but valid medications via dedicated containers placed inside pharmacies for redistribution. Expanded from 20 pharmacies in 2024 to 57 in 2026, covering all municipalities served.
• Comacchio VALE — Raccolta Abiti Usati (Humana Used Clothing Collection) Used clothing and textile collection service via street containers managed in partnership with Humana. Yellow or green containers placed throughout CLARA's municipalities accept garments, paired shoes, accessories, bags, and household linens. Humana processes collected textiles through Italian facilities, with unsold items supporting humanitarian and environmental projects.
• Ritiri a Domicilio su Chiamata (On-Demand At-Home Pickups) On-demand at-home pickup services including bulky items (ingombranti), green waste and pruning (verde e ramaglie), and asbestos (amianto). Booked via Portale Richiesta Servizi or telephone. Bulky item pickup is free once per year in municipalities with a recycling center; additional pickups are charged. Asbestos pickup requires a simplified operational plan submitted to Azienda USL.
• Ecomobile (Itinerant Mobile Collection) Itinerant mobile collection service operating in Codigoro and Comacchio municipalities, visiting approximately 25 locations to collect small WEEE, metalware, paint, batteries, used motor oil, and other special waste from domestic users. Accessible with a CLARA invoice as identification.

Quantifiable outcome

• Increased recycling rates through door-to-door collection implementation across all 19 municipalities
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Last Minute Market (Impresa Sociale)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaboration partner for the 'I farmaci che non usi riportali in farmacia' project, which collects unused but valid medications from citizens via pharmacy drop-off points. Last Minute Market develops and manages the initiative while Clara provides territorial coverage and logistics support. Started with 20 pharmacies in 2024, expanding to 57 in 2026.
• Federfarma FerraraminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership for the 'I farmaci che non usi riportali in farmacia' medication collection project. Federfarma coordinates pharmacy participation in the initiative across the Ferrara province, enabling citizens to return unused medications to participating pharmacies for redistribution to those in need.
• Humana (People to People Federation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for used clothing and textile collection. Humana operates yellow and green collection containers throughout Clara's service territory. Collected textiles are sorted in Italy, with reusable items donated to African communities or sold in Humana vintage stores, while non-reusable items are recycled or used for energy recovery. In 2022, Humana worldwide funded 1,410 projects benefiting 16.3 million people.
• Junker AppcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partnership for smart bin access and waste reporting. The Junker mobile application enables citizens to open intelligent waste bins using their smartphones (with Bluetooth and GPS), receive collection schedule notifications, and report abandoned waste with geolocation. The app also supports tourist access to waste services without requiring registration in Clara's customer system.
• Riserva di Biosfera Delta del PominorOthersCLARA supports the Delta del Po Biosphere Reserve, an environmental protection organization. This partnership aligns with CLARA's sustainability mission and environmental education initiatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clara-spa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 CLARA