CL TRADING

What CL TRADING does

CL Trading is a family-run recycling and waste management company headquartered in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa, founded in 1996 and operating for 29-30 years. The company runs a three-branch physical network across Stellenbosch, Parow (northern Cape Town industrial area) and Strand (Helderberg basin), which together provide regional coverage of the Cape Winelands, Cape Town metro and Helderberg. The service portfolio is broad for a regional operator and spans paper and plastic recycling, e-waste management, ferrous and non-ferrous metal recycling, licensed hazardous waste transport and disposal, confidential paper shredding, used cooking and motor oil collection, scrap and demolition services, and consulting via on-site waste audits and customized waste management plans.

The underlying technology stack is operational rather than digital: collection fleets, physical sorting, magnetic separation, shredding, melting and certified disposal, with no public API, software platform or AI capabilities disclosed. The firm is differentiated by a dense regulatory credential stack including BBEE certification, accredited waste transport licenses, SAPS Second-Hand Goods licenses, City of Cape Town accreditation, IPWIS registration, National Norms and Standards facility registration, and memberships in eWASA, IWMSA, Plastics SA, POLYCO and PETCO.

The business model is B2B service revenue under a custom, quote-based pricing structure tailored to client waste volumes, service frequency and waste stream type. Customers span shopping centres, wine farms, businesses, hospitals and informal communities, with named logos including Ford, Clicks, Twoaday, In2Food, EnviroServ, King Pie, Delheim and Jordan Wines. GTM is direct sales-led through consultation requests and on-site engagement, with content marketing (including a downloadable 'Recycling for Dummies' guide) supporting top-of-funnel education. The company reports a 40% annual volume increase over recent years, while remaining privately held, family-owned, and without disclosed revenue, headcount or external funding.

Name

CL TRADING

Legal name

CL Trading

Website

https://cltrading.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Family-run recycling and waste management firm in Western Cape, South Africa, founded 1996, offering paper, plastic, e-waste, metal, hazardous waste, and confidential shredding services to B2B clients across retail, healthcare, wine, automotive, and food and beverage industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Waste Management Services

NAICS

Solid Waste Collection (562111), Other Waste Collection (562119), Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers (42393)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950), Wholesale-Metals & Minerals (No Petroleum) (5050)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Commercial Waste Collection (Roll-off/Front-load) (IMAIAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

E-waste & Universal Waste Collection/Transfer (Electronics, Lamps, Batteries) (EUAIABAG), Commercial & Office Waste Collection (Non-hazardous) (EUAIAGAA), Scrap Collection, Brokerage & Trading (Dealers, Aggregators, Exporters) (EUAIAJAH)

Keywords

• Waste management services
• Recycling services
• E-waste management
• Hazardous waste disposal
• Metal recycling

Headquarters

HQ city

Stellenbosch

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Waste Collection and Recycling Services: Collection, transportation, and processing of various waste streams including paper, plastic, e-waste, metals, hazardous waste, and organic waste. Revenue generated through service fees for waste management solutions provided to businesses and institutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CL Trading provides collection, transportation, and processing of multiple waste streams including paper and plastic recycling, e-waste management, ferrous and non-ferrous metal recycling, hazardous waste transport and disposal, organic and general waste removal, used oil collection, and confidential paper shredding. It supplements these with on-site waste audits and customized waste management plans, delivering fully serviced B2B recycling solutions to clients across the Western Cape, South Africa.

Product overview

CL Trading is a family-run recycling and waste management company offering a comprehensive suite of services rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include paper and plastic recycling, e-waste management, ferrous and non-ferrous metal recycling, and general waste disposal. These services are delivered through operational logistics including collection, transportation, processing, and certified disposal. Supporting services include confidential document shredding, oil collection, hazardous waste handling, and demolition. The company also provides consulting services through on-site audits and personalized waste management planning, along with educational resources on recycling grades and compliance. The portfolio operates as service-based offerings rather than a technology platform with modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% annual increase in volume over recent years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, support and minor.

• eWASA (e-Waste Association of South Africa)coreOthersCL Trading is a member of eWASA (e-Waste Association of South Africa), indicating commitment to responsible e-waste management and industry standards in electronic waste recycling.
• IWMSA (Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa)coreOthersCL Trading is a member of IWMSA, demonstrating adherence to waste management best practices and professional standards in the Southern African region.
• Plastics SAsupportOthersCL Trading maintains involvement with Plastics SA, supporting plastic recycling industry initiatives and sustainable plastics management in South Africa.
• POLYCO (Polyolefin Responsibility Organisation)supportOthersCL Trading partners with POLYCO to support polyolefin recycling efforts and responsible plastic waste management in South Africa.
• PETCO (PET Recycling Company)supportOthersCL Trading works with PETCO to facilitate PET plastic recycling and support the circular economy for PET bottles in South Africa.
• City of Cape TowncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCL Trading is accredited with the City of Cape Town for waste management services, indicating formal recognition and partnership with the municipal government for environmental services.
• IPWIS (Integrated Pollution and Waste Information System)coreOthersCL Trading is registered with IPWIS, demonstrating compliance with Western Cape government waste tracking and reporting requirements.
• Green Up ProjectsminorOthersCL Trading supports Green Up Projects, a community environmental initiative, demonstrating corporate social responsibility and community engagement.
• Regenize Community ProjectsminorOthersCL Trading is involved with Regenize Community Projects, supporting accessible recycling initiatives in local communities.
• Helderberg OceansminorOthersCL Trading supports Helderberg Oceans, an environmental initiative focused on ocean conservation and coastal environmental protection.
• National Norms and StandardscoreOthersCL Trading's facilities are registered with National Norms and Standards for environmental health, ensuring compliance with national regulatory requirements.
• SAPS Second Hands Goods LicensescoreOthersCL Trading holds SAPS Second Hands Goods Licenses, enabling compliant handling and trading of second-hand goods and recyclables.
• Vlame Occupational Health & SafetysupportOthersCL Trading works with Vlame Occupational Health & Safety for workplace health and safety representation and compliance.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Reclam: South African collector and trader of recyclable materials including paper, plastics, and metals. Directly comparable to CL Trading's recyclable merchant and collection activities.
• EnviroServ: Largest integrated waste management company in South Africa offering hazardous and general waste collection, treatment, and disposal. Directly comparable to CL Trading across industrial, commercial, and hazardous waste streams, though at national scale.
• WastePlan: South African on-site waste management and recycling company serving commercial and industrial clients with multi-stream collection and waste audits. Highly comparable in model and customer segments.
• Interwaste: South African waste management company providing industrial, commercial, and hazardous waste services. Closely comparable to CL Trading's service portfolio, with broader geographic coverage.

Broad incumbents

• Remondis: Global recycling, waste, and water services company with strong presence across multiple geographies. Comparable multi-stream service portfolio to CL Trading's paper, plastic, metal, and e-waste handling.
• Cleanaway: Australia's largest waste management company with collection, recycling, and disposal across solid and hazardous waste. Comparable service breadth to CL Trading though at national/international scale.
• Averda: International waste management company operating across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe with collection, recycling, and disposal services. Comparable in service mix but operates at significantly larger scale.
• Mpact: JSE-listed paper and packaging group with significant recovered-paper collection and recycling operations in South Africa. Comparable on the paper recycling side and as a downstream buyer of CL Trading's recovered fibre.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/69569786

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 CL TRADING