Cleanaway Eastern Creek Container Sorting Facility
Featured facility
Commercial customers only
Highlights
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Supporting the circular economy
Processing more than 20,000 tonnes of HDPE and PP plastics a year.Pioneering innovation in Australian recycling
Leading the industry as Australia’s first MRF licensed to export single polymer plastic.Co-located for streamlined plastic recovery
Houses both a high-throughput commingled MRF and advanced PRF.Next-generation technology
Providing a safer, faster process for improved purity and reduced contamination.
About Cleanaway Eastern Creek Container Sorting Facility
Cleanaway Eastern Creek Container Sorting Facility is a state-of-the-art, purpose-built site that processes materials collected from New South Wales’ container deposit scheme, Return and Earn.
Processing up to 250,000 containers an hour, this facility plays a vital role in supporting the state’s environmental objectives by efficiently recycling millions of bottles and containers every day.
What we process
In line with the requirements set by the NSW container deposit scheme, the facility accepts eligible containers made from:
Plastic bottles under 1L
Glass bottles for drinks
Cans for soft drink, water, energy drinks
Drink cartons under 1L
How it works
The facility operates a comprehensive system for recovering valuable resources:
- Containers are collected from designated return points, such as Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs), with approximately 2,200 RVM clearances taking place daily across NSW by Cleanaway’s fleet of more than 200 trucks.
- At the facility, optical sorters identify and sort containers based on material type at thousands of reads per minute. This crucial step minimises contamination by ensuring clean, valuable commodity streams, which are critical for the success of the recycling economy.
- A sorting line uses magnetic sorting and manual picking to separate steel, aluminium, cartons and plastics with a capacity of 1.5 tonnes per hour, integrating advanced technology with human quality control to maximise recovery and minimise contamination.
- Once processed, the plastic, aluminium, steel and LPB containers are baled and delivered to local and international recycling facilities, to be used as material in new products.
Benefits for councils and businesses
- Supports councils in achieving NSW Government litter reduction and recycling targets through reliable processing at scale.
- Reduces greenhouse gas emissions by keeping aluminium, plastic, and glass in circulation.
- Supports local employment with facility roles and a fleet of drivers based across the region.
- Provides councils and businesses with a convenient, comprehensive solution for keeping millions of container types away from landfill and within the circular economy.
- Supports Australia’s domestic circular economy by delivering clean, source-separated streams that enable manufacturers to produce affordable, locally made recycled packaging. flyers, videos and social media.
Beyond the facility
Australia’s leader in container collection
Cleanaway is Australia’s largest collector of PET, HDPE and PP plastics through our participation in container deposit schemes in Tasmania, New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland – driving domestic recycling at scale.
Incentivised for premium quality service
As the network operator for Return and Earn, TOMRA Cleanaway is incentivised to maximise container returns - driving greater participation through a positive, user-friendly experience. The joint venture is also contractually required to meet strict recycling targets by delivering all collected materials to authorised recyclers, ensuring transparency and environmental outcomes.
Community fundraising opportunities
Schools, sports clubs, charities, and local groups use Return and Earn as a year-round fundraising stream turning container returns into vital funding for programs, equipment, and community events.