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Cleanaway

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Cleanaway
ASX:CWY
IndustryWaste management
Founded1979
FounderBrambles
Headquarters
Melbourne
,
Australia
Key people
Mark Chellew (Chairman)
Revenue$2.4 billion (2021)
$535 million (2021)
$153 million (2021)
Number of employees
6,300 (2021)
Websitecleanaway.au

Cleanaway Waste Management Limitedis an Australianwaste managementcompany. Founded in 1979 byBrambles,it has extensive operations in Australia and the United Kingdom.

History

[edit]
A CleanawayVolvo FMmunicipal solid wastecollection truck in the United Kingdom in January 2009
A CleanawayHinogarbage truck inCanberrain January 2008

Bramblesentered thewaste managementand disposal industry in 1970 when it purchased the Australian waste collection and disposal services of the Purle Group.[1][2]In 1979, it began trading as Cleanaway.[3]

Cleanaway expanded into Europe in the 1990s, purchasing businesses in the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom.[4][5][6][7]By 2003 the UK operation employed over 8,000 people.[8]The German business was sold in 2005.[9]Veolia acquired Cleanaway UK in 2006.[10]

In June 2006, Brambles sold Cleanaway toKKR,who then sold it to Transpacific Industries in May 2007.[11][12][13]Transpacific Industries was formed in 1987, expanding through organic and strategic growth.[14]The combined entity would continue to trade separately as Transpacific Industries and Cleanaway for ten years. In September 2013 the Commercial Vehicles Group that soldDennis Eagle,MANandWestern Star Truckswas sold to thePenske Automotive Group.[15][16]

In late 2015 the company rebranded to Cleanaway Waste Management, dropping the Transpacific name.[17]In May 2018, Cleanaway acquired Tox Free Solutions, including its subsidiary Daniels Health.[18][19][20]

In 2019, Cleanaway acquired a number of the SKM Recycling Group's assets for $66 million,[21]restoring and reopening the facilities completely by February 2020.[22]The acquisition included twomaterials recovery facilitiesand two transfer stations in Victoria, and a material recovery facility inTasmania.[23]The site inLaverton Northincludes a plastic sorting facility which separates plastics from material recovery facilities into clean, individual polymer grades for sale or input into a pelletising facility.[23]SKM was in substantial debt after theVictorian Environment Protection Authorityplaced limitations on its waste intake in response to a series of fires involving recycling stockpiles, leading to SKM ceasing waste collections from more than 30 councils with recycling diverted to landfill.[24]The acquisition of Statewide Recycling in late 2019[25]expanded Cleanaway's regional Victoria business, including a transfer station inWarrnambool.

In April 2021, Cleanaway agreed terms to purchase the Sydney operations ofSuez Environnement,after Suez and Veolia reached a merger agreement.[26]

As at June 2021, it employed over 6,300 people and operate 5,300 trucks from more than 250 branches, as well as a range of static facilities.[27]It is the largest waste management business in Australia.[24]

Incidents

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On 15 May 2000 an accident at Cleanaway UK'sEllesmere Porttoxic waste incinerator killed an employee and seriously injured another. The plant had been shut down to allow replacement of steel structures, and the men were on a scaffolding platform when over a tonne of concrete fell on them. Following aCrown Courttrial Cleanaway was convicted of health and safety failings, and fined £200,000 plus £135,000 in costs.[28]

Cleanaway's UK subsidiary was the first company ordered to pay compensation to a worker under theEmployment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003,after a gay manager quit following persistent harassment from his seniors because of his sexuality.[29]The case received widespread media attention, with the victim commenting that prior to the case he had tried to keep his sexuality a private matter.[8]The Guardiandescribed it as a landmark judgement, while aStonewallspokesperson said the ruling showed such abuse "was no longer going to be tolerated" and compared the remarks directed at the victim to "jokes about 'Pakis' "from previous decades.[30]

In April 2017 Cleanaway was issued a fine of $650,000 for a fire at a chemical waste processing facility in which a worker was seriously burned. The sentencing judge accused Cleanaway of initiating a trial process despite giving workers limited information about the trial and the new chemical involved. This was the largest fine ever handed out at aComcare-initiated prosecution.[31]

In August 2014, a Cleanaway sewage tanker truck collided with many cars at the lower part of theSouth Eastern Freeway,killing two people.[32]Following the accident the company pulled 2,800 trucks from service for inspections, disrupting waste collections for days.[33]The sewage truck ran away after the driver, a new employee who had never driven a manual truck before and had never driven any vehicle on this segment of road, lost control after passing the arrestor beds. Driver Darren Hicks was seriously injured and testified against Cleanaway at a criminal trial after being granted immunity.[34]The prosecution, brought by Comcare, also heard that the brakes on the vehicle were defective and in 2021 Cleanaway were convicted of eight charges underhealth and safetylegislation.[35]

In May 2020vivasolleaked from a Cleanaway facility inQueanbeyanand entered theMolonglo River,with a further discharge occurring the following month. TheNew South Wales Environment Protection Authorityin March 2021 charged Cleanaway with two water pollution offences and with allegedly taking five hours to notify them of the first incident. As a result of the leak the EPA mobilised 50 inspectors to simultaneously perform unannounced inspections of 27 Cleanaway locations. Three were fined a total of $31,500 for inadequate recordkeeping and waste storage, including two that had previously received fines for improper waste storage.[36]The EPA also described finding "consistent areas of concern" and criticised Cleanaway's "management of its operations" following the inspections.[37]

Products and services

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In addition toGeneral wastedisposal,Recycling,Healthcare and clinical waste collections and disposal etc.[citation needed]Cleanaway also manages severallandfills,waste transfer stationsand material recovery facilities throughout Australia, turning some received waste into energy and other materials.[38]

Cleanaway has proposed an energy-from-waste facility in Western Sydney. The facility would take residual waste from Western Sydney kerbside general waste collections and convert to energy.[39]In April 2021, Cleanaway launched Greenius, a free online learning resource for residents.[40]

Joint ventures

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A reverse vending machine in western Melbourne operated by Cleanaway and Tomra

In 2007, Cleanaway formed a joint venture withVeoliaand purchased EarthPower, an organic food waste processing facility. The facility uses anaerobic digestion technology to convertfood wasteinto combustible gas similar to natural gas to produce green electricity.[41]

The TOMRA Cleanaway partnership was appointed to be the Network Operator for the New South Walescontainer deposit scheme(also known as Return and Earn).TOMRAprovides the Reverse Vending Machines, and Cleanaway collects and processes the containers from the machines and collection points around New South Wales. As of 25 February 2021, 5 billion containers[42]have been returned since the start of the scheme. This same partnership was also chosen as the network operator for western Victoria and western Melbourne for Victoria's container deposit scheme in April 2023.[43]

On 19 February 2020,Asahi Breweries,Cleanaway and Pact Group Holdings announced a joint venture to develop a plastic pelletising facility.[44]This facility is expected to process up to 28,000 tonnes of plastic bottles and other plastic packaging. The facility will trade as Circular Plastics Australia (PET).[45]

References

[edit]
  1. ^Brambles in new industrial waste ventureCanberra Times11 August 1970 page 17
  2. ^Brambles' New InterestAustralian TransportSeptember 1970 page 23
  3. ^"Our History".Brambles.Retrieved19 June2018.
  4. ^Cleanaway Acquires Major German Waste OperatorBrambles 6 April 1998
  5. ^Brambles sees clear gain in German dealAustralian Financial Review7 April 1998
  6. ^Advice re: Cleanaway EuropeBrambles 9 May 2000
  7. ^Cleanaway Europe expansionBrambles 9 January 2001
  8. ^abHill, Amelia (30 January 2005)."'Anti-gay taunts made my life hell'".The Guardian.Retrieved16 May2021.
  9. ^Brambles Sells Cleanaway Germany for A$893 Million and buys Ausdoc for A$260 MillionBrambles 13 January 2005
  10. ^Veolia completes £589m acquisition of Cleanaway UKLets Recycle 29 September 2006
  11. ^Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co - acquisition of Cleanaway AustraliaAustralian Competition & Consumer Commission22 June 2006
  12. ^Transpacific buys Cleanaway from KKRABC News17 May 2007
  13. ^"Transpacific picks up Cleanaway – Business – Business – theage.au".The Age.Retrieved19 June2018.
  14. ^"Transpacific founder Peabody sells his stake".The Australian.8 March 2013.Retrieved31 March2020.
  15. ^Penske Will Pay $200 Million for Australian Truck CompanyNew York Times28 July 2013
  16. ^Penske buys CVG from TranspacificTrade Trucks29 July 2013
  17. ^Conroy, John (21 September 2015)."Transpacific to become Cleanaway".Herald Sun.Retrieved19 June2018.
  18. ^Dunckley, Mathew (11 December 2017)."Cleanaway Waste Management to buy rival Tox Free Solutions".Sydney Morning Herald.Retrieved19 June2018.
  19. ^"Cleanaway's $671m Tox Free takeover a done deal".The West Australian.3 May 2018.Retrieved19 June2018.
  20. ^"Cleanaway Gains Federal Court Approval For Tox Free Scheme of Arrangement – The Shareholder".The Shareholder.10 May 2018.Retrieved19 June2018.
  21. ^"Cleanaway acquires SKM facilities for $66 million".Inside Waste.10 October 2019.Retrieved19 May2020.
  22. ^"Former SKM facilities in Victoria reopened by Cleanaway".Inside Waste.4 February 2020.Retrieved19 May2020.
  23. ^abKeys, Holly (10 October 2019)."Cleanaway acquires SKM Recycling for $66 million".Waste Management Review.Retrieved5 September2021.
  24. ^abButler, Ben (21 August 2019)."Cleanaway takes control of SKM amid Victoria's recycling rubbish crisis".The Guardian.Retrieved16 May2021.
  25. ^"Welcoming Statewide Recycling to the Cleanaway family in Warrnambool".Cleanaway Newsroom.13 July 2020.Retrieved24 July2020.
  26. ^Cleanaway collects Suez assets on the cheapAustralian Financial Review14 April 2021
  27. ^Annual report for year ended 30 June 2021Cleanaway
  28. ^"Firm to pay £335,000 over death of worker".Cheshire Live.15 October 2003.Retrieved16 May2021.
  29. ^"First successful claim for sexual orientation discrimination".CMS Law-Now.3 February 2005.Retrieved15 May2021.
  30. ^Wainwright, Martin (29 January 2005)."Landmark ruling on homophobic taunts".The Guardian.Retrieved16 May2021.
  31. ^Clyde and Co."Construction company receives record NSW fine for electric shock".Lexology.Retrieved16 May2021.
  32. ^"Horrific South Eastern Freeway truck crash claims second life in Adelaide".Archived fromthe originalon 22 August 2014.Retrieved2 April2015.
  33. ^"UPDATE: Residents urged to leave garbage bins on kerb during nationwide grounding of collection fleet".9news.20 August 2014.Retrieved16 May2021.
  34. ^Dillon, Megan (2 December 2019)."Cleanaway truck driver in double fatality had never driven manual before, court hears".ABC.Retrieved9 May2021.
  35. ^Campbell, Claire (19 April 2021)."Cleanaway Operations found guilty of failing to adequately train driver over 2014 freeway crash".ABC.Retrieved9 May2021.
  36. ^"EPA takes legal action against Cleanaway for pollution of river".Mirage News.4 March 2021.Retrieved14 May2021.
  37. ^Roddan, Michael (12 October 2020)."Cleanaway safety claims blasted by NSW EPA".Australian Financial Review.Retrieved16 May2021.
  38. ^"Turning landfill gas into renewable energy".cleanaway.au.Retrieved19 June2018.
  39. ^"Cleanaway launches waste-to-energy plan".Waste Management Review.4 October 2019.Retrieved19 May2020.
  40. ^"Study shows we think we're wheelie good recyclers, but most of us are rubbish".Mirage News.19 April 2021.Retrieved23 April2021.
  41. ^"EarthPower food waste to energy plant".Waste Management Review.11 October 2019.Retrieved19 May2020.
  42. ^"Return and Earn reaches major milestone".Convenience and Impulse (C&I) website.25 February 2021.Retrieved26 February2021.
  43. ^"TOMRA Cleanaway appointed Victorian Deposit Scheme Network Operator".Cleanaway.Retrieved29 November2023.
  44. ^"Pact plugs into plan for $30m plastic recycling plant in Albury".The Sydney Morning Herald.19 February 2020.Retrieved19 May2020.
  45. ^"Construction set to begin on $45M Albury recycling plant".Waste Management Review.4 August 2020.Retrieved9 October2020.
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