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TOMRA Cleanaway returns as NSW CDS Network Operator for another 4 years
The TOMRA Cleanaway joint venture will continue in the role of Network Operator under the New South Wales Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) Return and Earn
Industry Updates - Our Services - Resource Recovery
May 20, 2022
Highlights
Since the commencement of the scheme in December 2017, NSW communities and businesses have returned over seven billion containers.
Since the commencement of the scheme in December 2017, NSW communities and businesses have returned over seven billion containers.
The New South Wales (NSW) government announced that the TOMRA Cleanaway joint venture will continue in the role of Network Operator for its Container Deposit Scheme (CDS), ‘Return and Earn’ for another four years, ending in late 2026. Minister for Environment James Griffin called the scheme “one of the most successful and trusted recycling initiatives Australia has seen.”
Cleanaway CEO and Managing Director, Mark Schubert welcomed the announcement, “Cleanaway is proud to play a key role in delivering this enormously successful scheme. Our refreshed Blueprint 2030 strategy centres around delivering sustainable customer solutions and making a sustainable future possible together. We are pleased to be able to continue to deliver an efficient CDS Network Operator service to the NSW community through our joint venture partnership with TOMRA. We look forward to driving even higher recovery rates and greater community access to the scheme in the future.”
Under the extension agreement, TOMRA Cleanaway continues to be responsible for the NSW Container Deposit Scheme network of return points, including Reverse Vending Machines, over-the-counter drop offs and automated depots. The joint venture will also be responsible for recycling collected containers and ensuring this material is sent to appropriate destinations, such as the Circular Plastics Australia facility in Albury.
Circular Plastics Australia is a joint venture with Cleanaway, PACT, Asahi Beverages and Coca Cola Europacific Partners. The PET plastic pelletising facility by the venture turns used PET containers into recycled PET pellets that can be used to make new packaging. The NSW CDS provides a significant portion of the feedstock for this circular economy solution.
TOMRA Cleanaway has also committed to greater community access to ‘Return and Earn’ by increasing the number of collection points across NSW.
TOMRA Cleanaway CEO James Dorney said he looks forward to continuing working with the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and the scheme coordinator Exchange for Change.
“Working with our partners, we look forward to building upon the incredible successes of the scheme to date and the positive environmental, charity and community outcomes delivered as part of the circular economy in NSW,” Mr Dorney said.
Pictured: TOMRA Cleanaway board representatives and CEO James Dorney
Since the commencement of the scheme in December 2017, NSW communities and businesses have returned over seven billion containers and significantly improved resource recovery and recycling rates across the state.
Before NSW introduced the ‘Return and Earn’ scheme, more than 160 million drink containers littered our streets, beaches, waterways, and parks. Drink container litter made up 44 per cent of the volume of litter in the state and cost more than $162 million a year to manage.
Pictured: A Return and Earn Reverse Vending Machine (RVM)
The renewal and expansion of the contract isn’t just good news for the environment, it’s also good news for charities, with more than $30 million raised for charities and community groups via donations and fees since the scheme commenced.
St Vincent de Paul Society NSW CEO Jack de Groot said through the partnership they’ve developed a valuable new income stream to support their work.
“It started out with over-the-counter collections in Vinnies Shops across Western Sydney and the Illawarra,” Mr de Groot said.
Breakthroughs in onshore plastic recycling in Australia
We're investing in the technology and facilities with our partners right here in Australia to close the loop on plastic waste. Here's how we're doing it.
Industry Updates - Resource Recovery
March 21, 2022
Highlights
Cleanaway is delivering the recycling solutions to close the loop on plastic waste. It's called the circular economy for plastic and we're investing in the technology and facilities with our partners right here in Australia to make it happen.
Cleanaway is delivering the recycling solutions to close the loop on plastic waste. It's called the circular economy for plastic and we're investing in the technology and facilities with our partners right here in Australia to make it happen.
Did you know Australians use nearly 2 million tonnes of plastic polymers every year, and that most of it goes to landfill?
Cleanaway is delivering the recycling solutions to close the loop on plastic waste. It’s called the circular economy for plastic and we’re investing in the technology and facilities with our partners right here in Australia to make it happen. Here’s how it works.
Cleanaway operates the sorting facilities that processes the material from commingled recycling bins and container deposit schemes. Once sorted into the different plastic types (also known as polymers), we work with our partners to use mechanical and chemical recycling to turn those polymers into something new that can be used again and again.
Your drink bottle is made from PET plastic. Cleanaway is working with Asahi, Coca-cola and PACT group to go bottle to bottle, so the next drink you buy is made from the same plastic as the last one. Our PET recycling facility in Albury is the largest in Australia, with another being built in Melbourne.
Harder plastics like ice cream tubs are made from PP while milk and laundry liquid bottles are HDPE. Both of these plastics will be recycled at a facility we are currently building in Melbourne, to be recycled into packaging for new consumer products.
Recycling soft plastics like LDPE, such as your chip packets and bread bags are much harder to mechanically recycle.
We’re working on an Australian first study with our partners, Qenos to use chemical recycling for soft plastics so even that can be recycled into new food grade packaging. This new advanced form of soft plastic recycling could mean we’re able to recycle plastic that would otherwise go to landfill. It also means we can preserve more of earth’s finite resources. For Cleanaway, that future is now for Australia’s onshore circular economy for plastic. Everyone has a role to play; from consumers to retailers, manufacturers and recyclers.
We’re all working to make a sustainable future possible together. Contact us to learn more about our soft plastic collection for businesses.
World-class recycling plant opens in Albury-Wodonga
The $45 million plant in Albury-Wodonga has boosted regional jobs and is helping to build a domestic circular economy, along with increasing the amount of locally sourced and recycled PET in Australia by two thirds, from around 30,000 tonnes to over 50,000 tonnes per annum.
Cleanaway has been announced as a foundation partner of Australia’s most ambitious hydrogen mobility project that will see the development of a new energy service station in Geelong. The service station is expected to commence operations in late 2023 and will be Australia’s first publicly accessible, green hydrogen refueling station designed for heavy vehicle use.
Cleanaway CEO and Managing Director, Mark Schubert said, “This project is an excellent example of industry working together to move the whole sector forward with sustainable solutions.”
Cleanaway has initially committed to two side lift vehicles as part of the trial, with more being considered. The trial will explore the performance, impact and real-world experience of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) for fleet owners and operators, customers and other road users compared to traditional diesel vehicles.
“At Cleanaway, reducing the environmental impact and carbon footprint remains a top priority. These hydrogen vehicles will help us to decarbonize our operations and by extension also assist our customers and the municipalities that we serve to reduce their overall carbon footprint,” Mark said.
“Investing in new and emerging technologies is crucial to drive innovation towards making a sustainable future possible together. As a company whose foundations are zero harm to people and the environment, we must be innovative about achieving a zero-carbon future,” Mark said.
Cleanaway has previously trialed electric vehicles and looked at options for natural gas as part of our goal to reduce the environmental impact of our service. Head of Fleet George Gerdan explains, “We’ll continue to explore the performance potential of batteries and diesel alternatives for heavy and light vehicles and, of course, we’re excited to see how the new FCEVs perform.”
Fleet trials explore the payload of heavy vehicles that must operate safely and reliably to service our customers. Trials look at fuel consumption, up-time, bin lift capability, impact on labour, noise and other factors in comparison to a diesel engine vehicle.
The new energies service station will also offer electric vehicle recharging alongside green hydrogen refuelling, bringing together the zero emission technologies that will support Australia’s energy transition. The first station in Geelong is expected to be the catalyst for a network of hydrogen refueling stations from Geelong to Sydney and onto Brisbane.
The $43.3 million project received a $22.8m grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) as part of ARENA’s Advancing Renewables Program and brings together a series of diverse industry partners operating an initial fleet of 15 hydrogen-powered heavy vehicles that will be refueled at the service station. The Victorian Government is also contributing $1 million to the infrastructure build of the service station via the Renewable Commercialisation Pathways Fund.
For further information contact:
Mark Biddulph
Head of Corporate Affairs
+61 499 332 601
Cleanaway adds hydrogen to increase fleet sustainability
Cleanaway has been announced as a foundation partner of Australia’s most ambitious hydrogen mobility project that will see the development of a new energy service station in Geelong.
Cleanaway has been announced as a foundation partner of Australia’s most ambitious hydrogen mobility project that will see the development of a new energy service station in Geelong. The service station is expected to commence operations in late 2023 and will be Australia’s first publicly accessible, green hydrogen refueling station designed for heavy vehicle use.
Cleanaway CEO and Managing Director, Mark Schubert said, “This project is an excellent example of industry working together to move the whole sector forward with sustainable solutions.”
Cleanaway has initially committed to two side lift vehicles as part of the trial, with more being considered. The trial will explore the performance, impact and real-world experience of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) for fleet owners and operators, customers and other road users compared to traditional diesel vehicles.
“At Cleanaway, reducing the environmental impact and carbon footprint remains a top priority. These hydrogen vehicles will help us to decarbonize our operations and by extension also assist our customers and the municipalities that we serve to reduce their overall carbon footprint,” Mark said.
“Investing in new and emerging technologies is crucial to drive innovation towards making a sustainable future possible together. As a company whose foundations are zero harm to people and the environment, we must be innovative about achieving a zero-carbon future,” Mark said.
Cleanaway has previously trialed electric vehicles and looked at options for natural gas as part of our goal to reduce the environmental impact of our service. Head of Fleet George Gerdan explains, “We’ll continue to explore the performance potential of batteries and diesel alternatives for heavy and light vehicles and, of course, we’re excited to see how the new FCEVs perform.”
Fleet trials explore the payload of heavy vehicles that must operate safely and reliably to service our customers. Trials look at fuel consumption, up-time, bin lift capability, impact on labour, noise and other factors in comparison to a diesel engine vehicle.
The new energies service station will also offer electric vehicle recharging alongside green hydrogen refuelling, bringing together the zero emission technologies that will support Australia’s energy transition. The first station in Geelong is expected to be the catalyst for a network of hydrogen refueling stations from Geelong to Sydney and onto Brisbane.
The $43.3 million project received a $22.8m grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) as part of ARENA’s Advancing Renewables Program and brings together a series of diverse industry partners operating an initial fleet of 15 hydrogen-powered heavy vehicles that will be refueled at the service station. The Victorian Government is also contributing $1 million to the infrastructure build of the service station via the Renewable Commercialisation Pathways Fund.
For further information contact:
Mark Biddulph
Head of Corporate Affairs
+61 499 332 601
"As a company whose foundations are zero harm to people and the environment, we must be innovative about achieving a zero-carbon future"
Cleanaway has been announced as a foundation partner of Australia’s most ambitious hydrogen mobility project that will see the development of a new energy service station in Geelong. The service station is expected to commence operations in late 2023 and will be Australia’s first publicly accessible, green hydrogen refueling station designed for heavy vehicle use.
Cleanaway CEO and Managing Director, Mark Schubert said, “This project is an excellent example of industry working together to move the whole sector forward with sustainable solutions.”
Pictured: An artist rendition of the new energy service station
Cleanaway has initially committed to two side lift vehicles as part of the trial, with more being considered. The trial will explore the performance, impact and real-world experience of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) for fleet owners and operators, customers and other road users compared to traditional diesel vehicles.
“At Cleanaway, reducing the environmental impact and carbon footprint remains a top priority. These hydrogen vehicles will help us to decarbonize our operations and by extension also assist our customers and the municipalities that we serve to reduce their overall carbon footprint,” Mark said.
“Investing in new and emerging technologies is crucial to drive innovation towards making a sustainable future possible together. As a company whose foundations are zero harm to people and the environment, we must be innovative about achieving a zero-carbon future,” Mark said.
Cleanaway has previously trialed electric vehicles and looked at options for natural gas as part of our goal to reduce the environmental impact of our service. Head of Fleet George Gerdan explains, “We’ll continue to explore the performance potential of batteries and diesel alternatives for heavy and light vehicles and, of course, we’re excited to see how the new FCEVs perform.”
Fleet trials explore the payload of heavy vehicles that must operate safely and reliably to service our customers. Trials look at fuel consumption, up-time, bin lift capability, impact on labour, noise and other factors in comparison to a diesel engine vehicle.
The new energies service station will also offer electric vehicle recharging alongside green hydrogen refuelling, bringing together the zero emission technologies that will support Australia’s energy transition. The first station in Geelong is expected to be the catalyst for a network of hydrogen refueling stations from Geelong to Sydney and onto Brisbane.
The $43.3 million project received a $22.8m grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) as part of ARENA’s Advancing Renewables Program and brings together a series of diverse industry partners operating an initial fleet of 15 hydrogen-powered heavy vehicles that will be refueled at the service station. The Victorian Government is also contributing $1 million to the infrastructure build of the service station via the Renewable Commercialisation Pathways Fund.
Cleanaway lifts the standard with latest Modern Slavery Statement
Our FY21 statement sets out the further actions that we have taken to mitigate the risks of modern slavery in our supply chain and operations during FY21.
Cleanaway has released our FY21 Modern Slavery Statement, continuing our journey towards reporting and mitigating modern slavery risks in our supply chains and operations.
Cleanaway Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Mark Schubert said, “Cleanaway is committed to human rights reporting, transparency and accountability. It’s a core part of our mission to make a sustainable future possible for communities and businesses, particularly with COVID-19 impacting us all. We look forward to continue demonstrating growth and improvement in these areas in the years to come.”
Cleanaway makes protecting our stakeholders a priority, which includes our suppliers, the people engaged by them, and the communities and environment in which they operate. We work to identify, assess and mitigate potential risks throughout our supply chains, which extend internationally to countries with varying levels of modern slavery risks.
Head of Procurement Ezra Clough said, “We made great strides in FY21 with regards to our modern slavery risk management. First, we broadened the use of our Supplier Code of Conduct to more suppliers in our supply chain. This is fundamental to improving Cleanaway’s performance on the modern slavery score and in line with our sustainable sourcing practices, which create long-term value across our supply chain. Second, we made modern slavery training mandatory for all existing white-collar employees and part of the onboarding process for all newcomers to the organisation.”
“Cleanaway understands that we need to educate all entities within our corporate group about the requirements of the Modern Slavery Act, how to better identify modern slavery risks and the processes for reporting any concerns identified, including through Cleanaway’s Whistleblower Policy and our third party service FairCall.” said Ezra.
Following feedback on our FY20 statement, we focused our efforts in communicating our policies and data in a clearer manner, to eliminate any possibility of misinterpretation. We also reached out to our ASX 100 peers whose policies inspired us to implement additional processes into our framework.
In FY21, Cleanaway spent more than $1 billion with more than 6,500 suppliers. Based on The Global Slavery Index, 99.86% of our suppliers operated in countries with low risk of modern slavery. 99.28% of our suppliers operated on-site in Australia, making up the vast majority of our supplier base.
Cleanaway’s FY21 Modern Slavery Statement outlines seven planned actions in FY22:
audit
due diligence
education
governance and oversight
policies and standards
remediation and responses
training.
These seven areas were identified during the review process of our modern slavery risk management framework in FY21 and will be continuously evaluated against our procedures and industry best practices.
“Making meaningful strides toward eradicating modern slavery requires collaboration with governments and regulators, non‑government organisations, industry bodies as well as our peers and networks across Australia,” Mark explained.
“We acknowledge that there is always work to be done and investments to be made in this area, no matter what organisation or environment you operate in, and Cleanaway takes its obligations to do so very seriously.”
Download Cleanaway’s FY21 Modern Slavery Statement here.
Contact us to learn more about how we’re making a sustainable future possible for communities and businesses across Australia.
On 18 December 2021 Cleanaway acquired from Suez seven post-collections assets in the Sydney basin, including 95 skilled team members who had been operating the assets. The collection of facilities will be known as Sydney Resource Network (SRN) and complements Cleanaway’s existing footprint of waste processing facilities in NSW.
The $501 million acquisition comprises two landfill operations (Lucas Heights, Kemps Creek) and five transfer stations (Auburn, Artarmon, Belrose, Rockdale, Ryde) and delivers an immediate solution for Cleanaway to internalise waste processing in the Sydney region.
Cleanaway’s integration team carried out detailed planning over several months to ensure a smooth transition for employees, customers and suppliers involved across the seven facilities.
Head of Operations – Integration, Stuart Baird, who is leading the SRN team said “I’m excited to be welcoming these facilities and the expert operators behind them into the Cleanaway fold. These seven sites fill a gap in our capabilities, and now we can recover more resources from our waste streams and methane from our landfills to make a sustainable future possible.”
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Mark Schubert, said “Cleanaway is an organisation that works hard to do the right thing by our people and our customers. What we do is essential to the safe functioning of society and protection of the environment, and that makes our work incredibly meaningful.”
“We exist to ensure that we can reduce and reuse our natural resources for a very long time. With these seven new assets in the Cleanaway network there is no limit to what we can achieve together in NSW.”
Cleanaway harnesses energy from the sun to lower electricity costs and support carbon emissions reduction
Cleanaway is investing almost $5 million in solar energy systems across Australia to reduce its electricity demand from the grid and its annual power bill.
Industry Updates
October 18, 2021
Highlights
"The installation of solar energy systems is a positive step toward supporting the deployment of zero emissions generation and reducing Cleanaway’s reliance on the grid."
"The installation of solar energy systems is a positive step toward supporting the deployment of zero emissions generation and reducing Cleanaway’s reliance on the grid."
Australia’s leading integrated waste management company, Cleanaway, is investing almost $5 million in solar energy systems across Australia to reduce its electricity demand from the grid and its annual power bill.
Chief Operating Officer Brendan Gill said Cleanaway was installing 2.4 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic (PV) panels, which would be capable of generating about 3.6 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity each year – enough to power 547 Australian homes.
He said Cleanaway would have solar generation across 23 sites spanning all states when the three-phase program was completed this calendar year.
This includes a 600 kilowatt (KW) array of panels at the new Perth Material Recovery Facility (MRF), which reopened in May, along with oil refineries, liquids waste facilities, and other MRFs.
“It makes economic sense to reduce our exposure to volatile electricity prices by generating our own power,” Mr Gill said.
He said Cleanaway expected the installation of solar panels to reduce Cleanaway’s annual electricity bill from these facilities by about 17 percent, or more than $500,000 a year, and annual electricity usage from the grid from these facilities by about 20 percent.
“In choosing which of our 250-plus sites were to be powered by the sun, we prioritised those that were likely to provide the fastest payback of our investment, but also considered factors such as roof size, angle, pitch and age, and operational hours,” Mr Gill said.
“About 1.6 MW of panels are already in place and the remaining 0.8 MW will be being installed by the end of this year.
“Solar PV is a proven technology with little risk, and we look forward to realising the benefits of this investment immediately and over many years.”
In 2020 Cleanaway published its first Sustainability Report, naming seven priority Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that the company felt it could have the greatest impact on through its operations.
This program contributes to four of the SDGs:
7. Affordable and Clean Energy: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Responsible Consumption and Production: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Climate Action: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
“Given the scale of our operations we’re aware that we can make an impact with improvements like this. The program is another example of how we’re working towards our mission to make a sustainable future possible for generations to come,” Mr Gill said.
The project draws on a $90 million Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) corporate loan designed to accelerate sustainable practices in the waste management sector.
CEFC CEO Ian Learmonth said: “The waste management sector generates significant emissions through landfill and energy use. CEFC finance is driving real innovation in the sector by giving Cleanaway the flexibility to look beyond the waste and landfill component of its emissions, and introduce more clean, renewable energy.
“The installation of solar energy systems is a positive step toward supporting the deployment of zero emissions generation and reducing Cleanaway’s reliance on the grid.
“Cleanaway is leading the industry in implementing new technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and we congratulate them on this announcement.”
Contact us to learn more about how we’re making a sustainable future possible for communities and businesses across Australia.
Cleanaway boosts plastic recycling with $1 million investment at Laverton
Cleanaway has continued the upgrade of Laverton Material Recovery Facility (MRF) to increase recycling of plastic.
Industry Updates - Resource Recovery
October 5, 2021
Highlights
As the first operator of a MRF to secure a licence to export single polymer plastics, Cleanaway will sell the green PET to processors offshore and in Australia.
As the first operator of a MRF to secure a licence to export single polymer plastics, Cleanaway will sell the green PET to processors offshore and in Australia.
Cleanaway has continued the upgrade of its Laverton Material Recovery Facility (MRF) centre in Melbourne with an investment of more than $1 million in new equipment to increase recycling of plastic.
Chief Operating Officer Brendan Gill says the investment, supported by up to $500,000 of funding from Sustainability Victoria, includes the purchase of new conveyors and optical sorting equipment and the optimisation of existing equipment at the plastic recycling facility at Laverton.
Brendan says said the new equipment will allow the separation of plastics such as coloured PET bottles and plastic trays commonly used for meat and fruit, from mixed residual plastic, reducing the volumes of plastic being sent to landfill and increasing the recovery of valuable commodities.
“At Cleanaway we see all waste as a resource, so this investment supports our objective of creating a circular economy in which waste is reduced and materials are reused and recycled, rather than sent to landfill,” he says.
“Recovering, finding markets for, and selling, single polymers like coloured PET plastic not only creates value but is consistent with our mission of making a sustainable future possible.”
Sensors on the sorting equipment detect and remove the coloured PET from the mixed plastics as they move along a conveyer at Laverton.
They were sold overseas with other plastics, like high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP), before bans on exports of mixed plastics were introduced on 1 July.
As the first operator of a MRF to secure a licence to export single polymer plastics, Cleanaway will sell the green PET to processors offshore and in Australia.
Clear PET from Laverton will be sent to the $45 million PET pelletising facility being built at Albury, NSW, to produce plastic resin for use in manufacturing new plastic containers.
The facility, owned by a joint venture of Cleanaway, Pact Group Asahi Beverages called Circular Plastics Australia (PET), will be fully operational later this year.
Cleanaway and Pact announced in July that Laverton would be the site of a $38 million plant to convert recycled HDPE and PP, such as milk bottles and food tubs, into resin for use in manufacturing food, dairy and other packaging This facility, which complements the Albury PET pelletising plant, will be fully operational in December 2022.
Cleanaway, Pact, Asahi and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) have signed a memorandum of understanding to form a joint venture which will build and operate a new PET recycling facility and include the Circular Plastics Australia (PET) joint venture in Albury.
A decision on the location of the new PET facility will be made in coming months, with construction to be completed by 2023.
Contact us to learn more about how we’re making a sustainable future possible for communities and businesses across Australia.
Climate and circular economy underpin Cleanaway sustainability commitments
Cleanaway continues to take action in FY21 to achieve the seven United Nations SDGs we have prioritised
Industry Updates
September 28, 2021
Highlights
We are continually looking at ways to expand our innovative resource recovery and recycling, which reduces our greenhouse gas emissions by diverting waste from landfill and reduces demand for primary raw materials.
We are continually looking at ways to expand our innovative resource recovery and recycling, which reduces our greenhouse gas emissions by diverting waste from landfill and reduces demand for primary raw materials.
Cleanaway has released its FY21 Sustainability Report, expanding on the material topics and global standards for sustainability that the company is working towards, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The company continued to take action in FY21 to achieve the seven United Nations SDGs it has prioritised:
SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy
At present, resource recovery is not an option for all waste streams. Greenhouse gas emissions are a natural consequence of waste ending up in landfill. Energy from waste represents an important alternative to engineered landfill for managing waste that cannot be sustainably recovered. In addition to the safe management of residual waste, it also enables the generation of low carbon energy.
Energy from waste
A large proportion of waste continues to go to landfill either because it is too contaminated to be recovered for recycling or there is no current option for resource recovery. Landfills produce methane, a greenhouse gas that is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide, as waste decomposes.
Cleanaway is investing in world-leading technology to recover energy from waste (EfW) while transitioning to a lower carbon economy. In FY21, we captured about 108 million cubic metres of landfill gas and used some of it to generate about 130 gigawatts of renewable energy, which is enough to power about 27,000 homes.
Solar energy
We are investing in solar energy systems across Australia to reduce our demand from the electricity grid and to reduce our annual power bill, with photovoltaic panels being installed at 24 sites in a program to be completed this calendar year.
SDG 9: Industry innovation and infrastructure
Our network of prized assets provides critical infrastructure to support a circular economy and contribute to making a sustainable future possible, with the capacity to service the needs of the community. They include our resource recovery and recycling facilities, transfer stations, engineered landfills, liquid treatment plants and refineries.
Resource recovery investment
We continuously explore leading technology and processes to enable the circular economy and deliver innovative customer solutions, such as a packaged food waste recycling service introduced through our partnership with Coles supermarkets, which reduces food waste sent to landfill.
We are the upgrading our Victoria Commingled Resource Recovery (VCRR) network, including the Laverton North material recovery facility and plastic recovery facility in Melbourne.
We have spent more than $15 million upgrading resource recovery sites in Queensland, South Australia and Victoria, and acquired the Grasshopper Environmental construction and demolition (C&D) collections business in NSW.
SDG 15: Life on land
We adhere to all environmental legislation and licensing requirements to minimise adverse effects on the environments in which we operate. We conduct our activities with the intention of preventing contaminants escaping and causing harm to the environment.
Environmental risks
In FY21, we made significant progress in simplifying and standardising management of environmental risks at our sites. An important milestone was the launch of the four Environment Absolutes alongside our revised Lifesaving Rules, which elevates environment protection and compliance to the importance of safety.
To complement the launch, Cleanaway undertook tailored environmental awareness training. We have also introduced a series of critical risk work programs that will ensure embedded management of our most material environmental risks.
Perth MRF infrastructure improvements
The Perth Material Recovery Facility, which was destroyed by fire in November 2019, was rebuilt and reopened in May 2021.
We worked with government bodies and an externally appointed independent fire engineer to ensure the redevelopment met the highest standards for safety, sustainability and fire and operations management and incorporated a range of fire safety enhancements.
SDG 12: Responsible production and consumption
Cleanaway has a critical role to play in the sustainable management and use of natural resources, the responsible management of chemicals and waste, and supporting reduction in waste generation. We believe that waste is a resource, and we focus on extracting the maximum potential from every tonne.
We are continually looking at ways to expand our innovative resource recovery and recycling, which reduces our greenhouse gas emissions by diverting waste from landfill and reduces demand for primary raw materials. In FY21 we recovered about 474,000 tonnes of paper and cardboard, 29,000 tonnes of plastic, 35,000 tonnes of steel and aluminium, and 113 million litres of used oil.
While we work towards more integrated services, we also actively partner with other organisations to improve recovery and reuse by investing with them in new plants.
Albury PET pelletising plant
Circular Plastics Australia (CPA), a joint venture of Cleanaway, Pact Group and Asahi Beverages is building a $45 million facility in Albury, NSW, that will convert almost one billion 600 ml PET plastic bottles each year into resin for manufacturing 20,000 tonnes of new PET containers when it is fully operational later this year.
Laverton recycling plant
Cleanaway and Pact have announced they will build a $38 million plant at Laverton in Melbourne to convert recycled high-density HDPE and PP into resin for manufacturing food, dairy and other packaging. This facility will be fully operational in December 2022.
SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities
By helping cities to manage their waste effectively, our services help to reduce the environmental impact of cities and enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanisation. Our education programs engage communities in their waste and recycling services to further develop a sustainability mindset in households, schools and businesses.
Education
We contribute to a cleaner and safer environment and enable better regulatory outcomes through education and engagement with customers and communities about recycling and better waste management.
Recognising the need for further education, Cleanaway launched a free version of its e-learning platform Greenius, in FY21 to help Australians get recycling right. The platform is suitable for almost anyone wanting to learn how to improve their recycling performance, and takes users on a recycling journey through gamification, videos, animations and quizzes.
SDG 13: Climate action
We are working to reduce our carbon footprint by cutting our greenhouse gas emissions.
Vehicle emissions
A high priority is reducing the emissions of our 3,300-plus diesel heavy vehicles, our second largest source of direct emissions. Hydrogen has the most long-term potential, but it will take between five and 10 years to become a reality.
In the meantime, we are investigating the feasibility of gas-powered vehicles, with timing dependent on refueling infrastructure. We will also assess the viability of replacing more than 600 light vehicles with electric vehicles once suitable models are released.
SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth
Cleanaway provides secure and meaningful employment for more than 6,300 people across about 250 sites around Australia. Recognising that collecting and processing waste poses safety hazards that we need to manage, we develop our people’s skills and strive to provide a safe working environment.
Safety
The safety, health and wellbeing of our people and the communities where we operate is our first and foremost consideration, never more so than during the COVID-19 pandemic. We reduced our total recordable injury frequency rate in FY21 from 4.5 to 3.6. Our focus on injury severity will continue in FY22 with the introduction of a Severity Index metric.
We continue to focus on driving as a critical risk. In May 2021, we worked to retrofit Mobileye, an advanced driver assistance system, into most of our heavy vehicles to minimise the risk of distractions and improve road safety for all users.
Diversity and training
Achieving gender equality targets is important to us and we continue to develop initiatives to address gaps, including the introduction of female employee representation targets in our FY22 short term incentive plans.
We are developing our next Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) as we strive to achieve our vision of the full inclusion and participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in our operations and partnerships.
In FY21, we introduced new modules to our training platform, Cleanaway University, and we update our induction video for our operational workforce as required. Our two-year graduate program creates career pathways for graduates through hands-on experience and insight into Cleanaway and the waste management industry.
Engagement survey
Our annual employee engagement survey gives our people the opportunity to share their opinions about working at Cleanaway and helps us measure their connection with the company. The 2021 survey, which had an 85 percent responses rate, showed 66 percent of our people were ‘actively engaged’ with Cleanaway.
Employee benefits
We want our employees to feel as invested in Cleanaway as we do in them. In October 2020, we launched our first Employee Share Scheme (ESS), a tax-deferred salary sacrifice arrangement to purchase shares in Cleanaway. In FY21, we partnered with employee benefits provider, Maxxia, and introduced salary packaging to allow employees to use their pre-tax income to pay for cars and work-related expenses.
Financial results
Cleanaway’s sustainable financial performance delivers returns to all stakeholders over the long term, ensuring organisational sustainability, and contributing to a strong Australian economy. In FY21, the company announced increases in underlying net revenue, underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization, and underlying net profit after tax, and delivered an increase in dividend.
Contact us to learn more about how we’re making a sustainable future possible for communities and businesses across Australia.
