How we support some of our most important stakeholders
Cleanaway community engagement is founded on the belief that sustainability starts at a local level. By building respectful partnerships and supporting community-led change, we help ensure our sites are places where people, the environment and business can thrive - together. We play an active role at a grassroots level through local sponsorships and donations, strategic social procurement, and impactful partnerships. These efforts provide waste management community support, and promote waste education and community involvement. It’s all part of building meaningful relationships and trust, to make a sustainable future possible together. Here are just some of the purposeful ways we work with our local communities.
Cleanaway sponsorships and donations
We actively support local communities through strategic sponsorships and donations that contribute to environmental, health and social outcomes. One of our key initiatives is the Community Benefit Fund (CBF), which provides financial assistance in the form of grants to community projects in Melbourne and Queensland. Through the CBF, we help give back to the communities in which we operate by providing funding that helps strengthen connections, deliver welfare support, reduce waste and increase sports participation.
Local and social procurement
Our commitment to building stronger, more inclusive communities is underpinned by Cleanaway’s social responsibility goals. These goals drive our focus on local and social procurement, through which we can create jobs, support small businesses and grow the capability of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander enterprises in the areas where we operate.
Cleanaway local partnerships
We develop place-based partnerships that address the unique needs of local communities. With a focus on not-for-profits and social enterprises, we work hard to nurture relationships with organisations that offer community sustainability programs, and who share our passion for making a sustainable future possible together. These partnerships combine waste education, social procurement and environmental activism to deliver real change at the local level.
Clean Up Australia
Clean Up Australia
Clean Up Australia is a not-for-profit organisation that inspires and mobilises communities to improve and conserve our environment, eliminate litter and address waste. A national sponsor since 2016, we are united through our shared vision of helping Australians take practical action to protect the environment and reduce litter in their communities. As part of our sponsorship, we support and participate in Clean Up Australia Day, where our teams work side by side with customers and local communities to remove litter from cities, rivers, beaches and bushlands.
Community reference groups
We value input and feedback from our communities in the locations where we operate. Community reference groups (CRGs) serve as a crucial bridge between our services and the communities we serve, facilitating two-way communication and feedback on projects or initiatives. These groups aim to ensure that community perspectives, concerns and priorities are considered in decision-making processes, ultimately leading to more effective and well-received outcomes.
Our community education programs
More broadly, we support our communities through programs and learning platforms that educate on waste behaviour change with the goal of improving resource recovery. This can take the format of formal education sessions or self-paced online learning hubs, such as Greenius, Cleanaway’s free e-learning platform, and Recycling Hub, a trusted online guide for common recycling questions. For us, support means having a real presence that makes a real difference. With so many worthwhile causes and activities in our local communities, we focus our support in areas where we can make the greatest difference as a business.
MRL Community Benefit Fund (CBF)
The MRL Community Benefit Fund, supported by Cleanaway, invests in projects that deliver positive outcomes for local communities. Through targeted grants, the fund supports initiatives in areas such as environmental sustainability, education, health, and community wellbeing — helping build stronger, more resilient regions.
New Chum Community Benefit Fund (CBF)
The New Chum Community Benefit Fund, supported by Cleanaway, provides grants to initiatives that enhance local sustainability, education, health and community wellbeing. By investing in projects that matter most to the region, the fund helps create lasting benefits and stronger connections with the community.
Raising awareness and saving lives with Orange Sky
We’re excited to partner with Orange Sky, a not-for-profit organisation providing free laundry and shower services to those in the community (known as friends) experiencing homelessness and hardship. Together, we’re launching an awareness campaign to highlight the dangers of sleeping in bins, and to connect those in need with safer alternatives and support services.