Clean Earth
Clean Earth is a U.S. specialty waste management company operating the country's largest TSDF network (150+ locations) for hazardous and non-hazardous waste treatment, recycling, and disposal. It serves healthcare, pharmaceutical, retail, industrial, and government customers with specialized services including PFAS treatment and electronics recycling.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersKing Of Prussia, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Clean Earth does
Clean Earth is a U.S.-based specialty waste management company providing hazardous and non-hazardous waste treatment, recycling, transportation, and disposal services through the largest TSDF network in the country, encompassing 150+ locations, 19 treatment, storage and disposal facilities, 6 RCRA-permitted incineration units, 33 EPA-permitted treatment facilities, and a fleet of approximately 800 vehicles. The company serves eight primary customer verticals including healthcare, pharmaceutical, retail, industrial manufacturing, government, construction, technology, and energy/utilities, with services spanning waste disposal and transportation, lab packs, DEA-compliant pharmaceutical waste, R2/RIOS-certified electronics recycling, PFAS treatment, solar panel recycling, contaminated soil treatment (thermal desorption, bioremediation, chemical fixation), dredged material processing, and 24/7 emergency response.
The company operates on a B2B service contract model with quote-based pricing dependent on waste type, volume, treatment requirements, and regulatory compliance needs, and maintains multi-year contracts with enterprise customers across diversified segments. Reported operational performance includes a 92% waste material recycling rate, 439,000 tons of hazardous material recycled, 3.1 million tons of contaminated soil recycled, and 85 million gallons of wastewater recycled annually. Clean Earth was acquired by Harsco Corporation (now Enviri Corporation) in 2019 for $625 million and subsequently sold to Veolia Environnement SA in June 2026 for $3 billion ($3.04 billion per the announcement), at a 9.8x multiple of projected 2026 EBITDA, with $120 million in expected synergies by year four. Following the acquisition, Clean Earth operates as part of Veolia's U.S. hazardous waste business, which has pro forma revenue of approximately $6.3 billion, making it the second-largest U.S. hazardous waste management provider.
Clean Earth firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Clean Earth
- Legal name
- Clean Earth
- Website
- https://cleanearthinc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Clean Earth is a U.S. specialty waste management company operating the country's largest TSDF network (150+ locations) for hazardous and non-hazardous waste treatment, recycling, and disposal. It serves healthcare, pharmaceutical, retail, industrial, and government customers with specialized services including PFAS treatment and electronics recycling.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Clean Earth industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Hazardous Waste Management
- NAICS
- Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal (562211), Remediation and Other Waste Management Services (5629), Hazardous Waste Collection (562112), Remediation Services (562910), Materials Recovery Facilities (56292)
- SIC
- Hazardous Waste Management (4955), Refuse Systems (4953)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hazardous Waste Disposal (Secure Landfills, Deep-Well Injection) (EUAIAFAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Secure/Special Waste Disposal (Industrial, Contaminated Soils, Low-Level Radioactive/NORM) (BPALACAG), E-waste & Universal Waste Collection/Transfer (Electronics, Lamps, Batteries) (EUAIABAG), Medical & Biohazardous Waste Management (RMW, Sharps, Pathological) (EUAIAFAE), Universal Waste Management (Batteries, Lamps, Mercury-Containing) (BPALAHAL)
Keywords
Where Clean Earth is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- King Of Prussia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices59 records
Markets served
Clean Earth business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Waste Management Services: Hazardous and non-hazardous waste treatment, disposal, and recycling services. Revenue generated from fees for waste handling, treatment, transportation, and disposal. The company operates on a service contract basis with industrial, healthcare, retail, and government customers.
- Transportation and Logistics Services: Waste transportation services including a fleet of approximately 800 vehicles. Revenue from logistics and transportation fees for hazardous waste management.
- Recycling and Sustainability Services: Recycling services for electronic waste, universal waste, solar panels, contaminated soil, and dredged materials. Revenue from processing fees and recovered material sales.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise waste management services with customized pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Clean Earth product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Clean Earth is a specialty waste management company providing comprehensive hazardous and non-hazardous waste services across the United States. Through a network of more than 150 facilities including 19 Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities (TSDFs), the company collects, transports, treats, recycles, and disposes of regulated waste streams for industrial, healthcare, retail, pharmaceutical, and government customers. The portfolio spans 20+ service lines including waste disposal and transportation, lab packs, DEA pharmaceutical waste, electronics recycling, solar panel recycling, contaminated soil remediation, dredged material processing, PFAS solutions, and emergency response services.
Product overview
Clean Earth is a specialty waste management company providing hazardous and non-hazardous waste services across the United States through a network of treatment, storage, and disposal facilities (TSDFs). The company operates as a unified platform offering 20+ distinct service lines including waste disposal and transportation, lab packs, electronic waste recycling, PFAS solutions, contaminated soil treatment, dredged material processing, solar panel recycling, and universal waste recycling. The portfolio includes RecycleKits (mail-back recycling program for small quantity generators), emergency response services, and professional consulting. The company emphasizes sustainable solutions with 92% of waste material recycled, operating thermal desorption, bioremediation, and chemical fixation treatment technologies across its facility network.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Waste Disposal & Transportation Comprehensive hazardous and non-hazardous waste collection, transportation, and disposal services with nationwide coverage through Clean Earth's 150+ facility network and 800+ vehicle fleet.
- Lab Packs Laboratory chemical waste packing and disposal services for educational, research, and industrial facilities.
- Onsite Services On-site waste management and remediation services delivered at customer locations.
- Professional Services Environmental consulting and professional waste management advisory services.
- DEA & Pharmaceutical Waste Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regulated pharmaceutical waste disposal and compliance services.
- Electronic Waste Recycling & IT Asset Management R2/RIOS certified electronics recycling with data destruction and IT asset management services.
- Solar Panel Recycling End-of-life solar panel recycling services processing approximately 600,000 panels per year at full capacity at the Lancaster, Texas facility.
- Universal Waste Recycling Recycling services for batteries, fluorescent lamps, mercury-containing devices, and other universal wastes.
- Household Hazardous Waste Collection and disposal services for household hazardous waste from municipalities and small quantity generators.
- Contaminated Soil Treatment & Recycling Thermal desorption, bioremediation, and chemical fixation treatment technologies for contaminated soil remediation and recycling.
- Dredged Material Processing & Beneficial Reuse Processing of dredged sediment from waterways into engineered structural fill for beneficial reuse applications.
- Emergency Response 24/7 emergency hazardous waste response services for spills and environmental incidents.
- Sustainability & Recycling Sustainable waste solutions focusing on material recovery and circular economy approaches.
- Product Recalls Brand protection and product recall management services for consumer commodities.
- PFAS Solutions Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) treatment and disposal services including PFAS-contaminated water treatment.
- RecycleKits Mail-back recycling kits for small quantity waste generators including lamps, batteries, ballasts, mercury devices, and electronics.
- Coal Combustion Products Beneficial reuse solutions for fly ash, bottom ash, boiler slag, and flue-gas desulfurization materials.
- Hazardous & Non-Hazardous Waste Treatment and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous industrial waste including aerosols, wastewater, flammable liquids, and manufacturing sludge.
- Consumer Commodities Processing of retail consumer products including drain cleaners, aerosols, expired products, and off-spec items.
- Construction & Demolition Debris C&D waste recycling for bricks, concrete, asphalt, and other construction materials.
Quantifiable outcome
- 92% of waste material recycled
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Clean Earth
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Clean Earth technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Clean Earth partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators15 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Clean Earth competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Clean Harbors: Clean Harbors is the largest provider of hazardous waste management services in North America, offering treatment, disposal, recycling, and emergency response across a comparable network of TSDFs. It is the most direct competitor to Clean Earth's hazardous waste core.
- Heritage Environmental Services: Heritage is a privately held hazardous waste management company operating TSDFs across the U.S. It offers similar treatment, disposal, recycling, and emergency response services targeting industrial, pharmaceutical, and government customers.
- Stericycle: Stericycle specializes in regulated waste management including hazardous waste, medical waste, and secure information destruction. It directly competes with Clean Earth in pharmaceutical waste, lab packs, and compliance-focused waste services for healthcare and retail customers.
- Tradebe Environmental Services: Tradebe operates a network of hazardous waste treatment and recycling facilities in the U.S. and internationally. It provides comparable industrial services, solvent recycling, and contaminated soil remediation to similar customer verticals.
Emerging players
- Perma-Fix Environmental Services: Perma-Fix provides nuclear, hazardous, and mixed waste treatment and disposal services. It competes in niche segments overlapping with Clean Earth's specialized waste treatment and PFAS destruction capabilities.
- AERC Recycling Solutions: AERC (acquired by Clean Earth in 2017) is an electronics recycling and IT asset disposition specialist that was integrated into Clean Earth. Comparable regional e-waste recyclers compete with this service line.
Broad incumbents
- Republic Services: Republic Services is a major environmental services company offering solid waste, recycling, and hazardous/industrial waste management. Its environmental solutions division competes with Clean Earth in industrial and hazardous waste streams.
- Waste Management Inc. Waste Management is the largest waste services provider in North America, with a hazardous waste segment that competes against Clean Earth. It offers broader solid waste, recycling, and disposal services as part of a much larger portfolio.
- Veolia Environnement (North America): Veolia acquired Clean Earth in 2026 to become the second-largest hazardous waste player in the U.S. Its broader environmental services portfolio overlaps with Clean Earth's industrial waste and remediation capabilities.
Regional players
- GFL Environmental: GFL Environmental is a Canadian-headquartered diversified environmental services company with growing U.S. hazardous and industrial waste operations, serving as a regional competitor particularly in northern U.S. markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Clean Earth social profiles
Digital presenceClean Earth compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Clean Earth financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Clean Earth leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Clean Earth funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Clean Earth M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A3 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Clean Earth
What does Clean Earth do?
Clean Earth is a specialty waste management company providing comprehensive hazardous and non-hazardous waste services across the United States. Through a network of more than 150 facilities including 19 Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities (TSDFs), the company collects, transports, treats, recycles, and disposes of regulated waste streams for industrial, healthcare, retail, pharmaceutical, and government customers. The portfolio spans 20+ service lines including waste disposal and transportation, lab packs, DEA pharmaceutical waste, electronics recycling, solar panel recycling, contaminated soil remediation, dredged material processing, PFAS solutions, and emergency response services.
Is Clean Earth a public or private company?
Clean Earth is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Clean Earth founded?
Clean Earth was founded in 1986. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Clean Earth based?
Clean Earth is headquartered in King Of Prussia, United States, in the North America region.
How does Clean Earth make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Waste Management Services are the primary driver. The others are transportation and Logistics Services and recycling and Sustainability Services.
Who are Clean Earth's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Clean Harbors, Heritage Environmental Services, Stericycle and Tradebe Environmental Services. Emerging players are Perma-Fix Environmental Services and AERC Recycling Solutions. Broad incumbents are Republic Services, Waste Management Inc. and Veolia Environnement (North America). GFL Environmental is listed as a regional player.
Does Clean Earth have an API?
No public API is recorded for Clean Earth.
What industry is Clean Earth in?
Clean Earth's product category is Hazardous Waste Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAIAFAC, Hazardous Waste Disposal (Secure Landfills, Deep-Well Injection), with a secondary code of BPALACAG, Secure/Special Waste Disposal (Industrial, Contaminated Soils, Low-Level Radioactive/NORM). Its NAICS code is 562211 and its SIC code is 4955.