Our People Archives | Page 9 of 14

Meet our long serving Rutherford Refinery team members

Our People

October 20, 2020

Tags: Liquids

Highlights

Meet two team members from our Rutherford Refinery who celebrated career milestones with Cleanaway. We caught up with Gary and Nick to find out more about their roles and what it’s like working with us.

Refinery Operations Team Leader Gary Winters

Gary recently received an award for five years of service with Cleanaway. Gary brought an amazing wealth of experience to Cleanaway, having spent 10 years in State Rail, almost 20 years in cold tar and naphthalene distillation plants and five years in civil engineering.

Gary said, “As a Refinery Team Leader, I take pride in contributing to my shift team at Cleanaway through my leadership skills and focus on safety. While not at work, I enjoy golf, fishing and spending time with my family and grandchildren.”

Refinery Operations Team Leader Gary Winters

Production Engineer Nicholas Welbourne

“I joined Cleanaway in September 2010. My background was process and project engineering from steelmaking, coal tar distillation and power generation. When I started, I provided technical support for the plant’s operating and maintenance teams. Over the years my role has progressed to Production Engineer, where I now lead those teams.”

Nicholas recently celebrated his 10 year anniversary with Cleanaway. In that time, he’s most proud of being part of a team that produced Group II base oil, making Cleanaway the only Group II base oil manufacturer in Australia. The team have also increased production volume by more than 40% since the commissioning of the plant in 2006, and won awards such as the Hunter Manufacturing Excellence in Technology Award and Cleanaway’s Team Star Award. Most importantly, Nicholas is pleased to have maintained a record of zero lost time injuries at the site.

Nicholas (left of photo) receiving his 10 Years of Service Award from Regional Manager Scott McLeod.

Pictured here is Nicholas (left of photo) receiving his 10 Years of Service Award from Regional Manager Scott McLeod.

From the Royal Australian Navy to Cleanaway: Meet Rob Vincent

Our People

September 30, 2020

Highlights

These skills I learnt whilst in the RAN have been instrumental during my time with Cleanaway and have allowed me to share my experiences and knowledge with my co-workers.

Tags: industrial services

Highlights

These skills I learnt whilst in the RAN have been instrumental during my time with Cleanaway and have allowed me to share my experiences and knowledge with my co-workers.

Industrial and Waste Services (IWS) Account Manager Robert Vincent’s career with Cleanaway began after serving 14 years in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Rob was deployed operationally overseas several times and served on numerous ships and in shore-based establishments around Australia before discharging and settling in WA.

Following his time in the RAN, Rob joined Cleanaway as a temporary labour hire operator. “I wanted a new challenge in a new industry. I was also keen to work with a company that valued its employees as much as the defence force and one that also gives back to the community. It was my luck that Cleanaway was hiring at the time. I’m glad to still be here six years on.” said Rob on what guided his decision.

Rob quickly settled into his role and built lasting relationships with his teammates, “My first day at work was interesting to say the least, in a positive way of course. It reminded me of my first day at recruit school where the people, environment and job were all new and you didn’t know what to expect. I was pretty lucky to have a good, positive team around who helped me settle in, most of whom are still with Cleanaway to this day. This is a real testament to Cleanaway and the value we place on our people.”

By the end of 2014, Rob was in a full time corporate Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) role as advisor to Perth Metro branches. Rob then took on a branch manager role for Perth Metro, followed by the branch manager role at Alcoa Kwinana.

“In the RAN you learn very quickly the value and importance of time management, discipline, punctuality and how to prioritise tasks. These skills have been instrumental during my time with Cleanaway and have allowed me to share my experiences and knowledge with my co-workers. It’s been particularly useful when planning for succession and developing our future leaders. I find it really rewarding to see our team grow and develop.” said Rob when reflecting on his move to a leadership role.

Rob recently took the opportunity to move up within our IWS business. With his wealth of knowledge and experience gained over the last six years, there is no doubt that he will be able to hit the ground running.

“Working with the IWS team has been a highlight for me and has really made my Cleanaway journey memorable. I have recently taken on a new challenge within Cleanaway transitioning from being a branch manager to a key position within the projects and contracts division. My new role gives me the opportunity to work with customers whilst also continuing to work with the sites and the people that I have been involved with over the years. I am one of the lucky people that can say they look forward to going to work each day.” said Rob.

Congratulations Rob, we look forward to many more years together.

Cleanaway is committed to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG 8) to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

Meet our first female garbo in SA

Our People

September 8, 2020

Highlights

Once I got in a truck, I just knew that it was for me. Plus, I had to prove to Dad that girls could!

Tags: Drivers

Highlights

Once I got in a truck, I just knew that it was for me. Plus, I had to prove to Dad that girls could!

Driver Kirsty Whan grew up in Port Augusta, spending time in Mount Compass and Tamworth before coming to Adelaide and becoming the first female driver in our SA Solids team.

Before her role with Cleanaway, Kirsty tried her hand at hairdressing and healthcare but decided that it really wasn’t for her. The turning point for Kirsty was when she started a five-week training course that covered forklift, truck driving, skid steer and loader operations. “Once I got in a truck, I just knew that it was for me,” Kirsty said. “Plus, I had to prove to Dad that girls could!”

After the training she found a job as a courier driver and went on to train in freight and long haul truck driving. “My husband works in the waste industry so we moved to Adelaide and I worked with a few companies before making the leap to Cleanaway.” Kirsty said.

When asked about how she feels being the first female driver working for Cleanaway in SA, Kirsty replied, “It’s great. I used to see some of the Cleanaway team at the tip. They always looked so happy and seemed like a good bunch of guys. The boys were really welcoming when I came to meet them about the job which I appreciated. I stir them a bit and give back as good as I get so that helps.” she said with a smile.

Kirsty is all about personal empowerment and doesn’t see gender as a barrier for anyone to get ahead in life. “There’s no reason for girls not to be a truck driver or a doctor or whatever else they want to do. Although, I must say my friends can’t get their heads around me driving a truck because I’m a bit of a girly-girl with my nails and eyelashes.” Kirsty laughed.

The best part of Kirsty’s job is being in her truck and interacting with the community. “I love it when the kids come out to wave or say hello,” she said. “Love my truck too, I’ve named her LaFawnduh which is a reference to the movie, Napoleon Dynamite.”

Kirsty has had her fair share of interesting moments on the job. “One day, we had a driver in the city who ran a red light and then just stopped in the middle of the intersection. Then there were near misses when a driver who went through a give way sign and almost hit the side of my truck. We’ve also seen a guy doing yoga in the gutter where our bins were, and then another driver freaked out when they saw us and reversed back into the bins we were about to tip and knocked them all over.” Kirsty recalled.

Kirsty highly recommends a career in waste industry, and with Cleanaway. “We have such a great team,” she said. “I have been so welcomed from the start – not sidelined like in some other places. I feel that I can talk with the bosses like mates and we work well together. Plus, Cleanaway are great about flexible working hours which I’m really happy about!””

The charmer of St Marys

Our People

July 22, 2020

Highlights

“It’s important to teach kids about waste education at school, so that proper waste disposal becomes a lifelong habit.”

Tags: Cleanaway garbo

Highlights

“It’s important to teach kids about waste education at school, so that proper waste disposal becomes a lifelong habit.”

Villiame Tamadra has been working at the Penrith Community Recycling Centre (CRC) in St Marys for over 12 months and in that time has earned a reputation for being the ‘charmer of St Marys.’

Villi, as he is known, goes out of his way to help visitors unload their vehicles and even takes the time to show them how to check if the items being dropped off are accepted at the CRC. Everyone is welcomed with a friendly smile, but he reserves the biggest smiles for his regulars.

Villi is a firm believer in educating the community on correct recycling of hazardous waste such as e-waste, chemicals and paint. “Labelling is important. Show people what to look at and make sure they understand what the different symbols mean,” he said.

“People also need to know why they can’t mix chemicals or why they have to bring them in different containers. It’s important to teach kids about waste education at school, so that proper waste disposal becomes a lifelong habit.”

Villi takes great pride in ensuring that the CRC is always clean and tidy and he always seems to know where everything is! He can often be seen lending a hand to those working on site, moving empty boxes to the bin or in the forklift unload trucks.

Villiame Tamadra

The Penrith Community Recycling Centre at St Marys provides the community with a free and convenient way to dispose of potentially hazardous household waste. The CRC is operated by Cleanaway with the support of our St Marys Liquid Waste Services facility nearby. To further support the community doing household clean ups during the recent stay-at-home restrictions, we extended our collections to accept metals, clothes and other everyday household items.

Visit this link to find out more about the CRC. For more information about Cleanaway’s household and commercial hazardous waste services visit our website.

Cleanaway’s NAIDOC 2020: Always Was, Always Will Be

Our People

July 6, 2020

Highlights

Cleanaway supports NAIDOC Week through our participation in opening ceremonies, morning teas with cultural activities and presentations, and onsite local Traditional Owner performances

Tags: NAIDOC Week

Highlights

Cleanaway supports NAIDOC Week through our participation in opening ceremonies, morning teas with cultural activities and presentations, and onsite local Traditional Owner performances

By Johanna Birgersson
Executive General Manager Human Resources

On behalf of Cleanaway’s Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge NAIDOC Week originally scheduled for 5 – 12 July. As announced by the National NAIDOC Committee, NAIDOC celebrations will be held between 8 – 15 November to protect the community from any potential COVID-19 impact.

NAIDOC Week traditionally starts on the first Sunday in July with festivities continuing until the following Sunday. The acronym NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. It has its roots in the 1938 Day of Mourning that eventually become a week-long event in 1975.

NAIDOC Week celebrations are held every year to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples not only in Indigenous communities, but by Australians from all walks of life.

Cleanaway supports NAIDOC Week through our participation in opening ceremonies, morning teas with cultural activities and presentations, and onsite local Traditional Owner performances. We are also proud platinum sponsors of NAIDOC Perth with financial and in-kind volunteering support for all events held during the week.

Learn more about our participation in previous NAIDOC events here and here.

Last year’s NAIDOC celebrations at Eastern Creek

Pictured: Last year’s NAIDOC celebrations at Eastern Creek.

This year’s theme is Always Was, Always Will Be.

It recognises that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years. It’s about seeing, hearing and learning about the First Nations’ 65,000 plus year history – which is Australian history.

2020 National NAIDOC Poster

Pictured: 2020 National NAIDOC Poster

Tyrown Waigana, a Perth based artist and designer, has been named as this year’s winner of the prestigious National NAIDOC Poster Competition.

Shape of Land – depicts the Rainbow Serpent coming out of the Dreamtime to create this country and how we are strongly connected to it.

Tyrown Waigana is a proud Noongar and Saibai Islander.

To learn more, visit https://www.naidoc.org.au/

We look forward to sharing some of the activities that will take place in July and later in the year.

You’ve got a friend in me: Meet Simon and Ben

Our People

May 29, 2020

Highlights

A wave and a smile makes such a difference to our day. Make sure you say hello - us garbo’s really appreciate it.

Tags: Drivers

Highlights

A wave and a smile makes such a difference to our day. Make sure you say hello - us garbo’s really appreciate it.

Ben Gangemi is a 30-year-old resident in The Hills Shire who lives with disability. Lyn Gangemi wrote about Ben’s heart-warming friendship with Cleanaway Driver Simon Abela in a Facebook post that has since attracted thousands of positive messages from the community.

Simon and Ben of Cleanaway

Branch Manager Isaac Mascord caught up with Simon to learn more about his mate Ben, how the friendship developed and why he looks forward to his job every day.

Isaac: Tell us about your friendship with Ben and how you first met him. What sparked the friendship?

Simon: It was about 4 years ago when I first started with Cleanaway. It was just an ordinary day. I was emptying garbage bins in the Hills and Ben was waiting out the front of his house behind the gate.

I pulled up because I saw him waving and thought I’d stretch my legs for 5 minutes and say hello to him and his mum. Ever since that day, Ben will be waiting for me every Tuesday at 11am for a chat. If he has something on and cannot make it, he makes sure to tell me so I can reschedule my collection time. I do my best to accommodate.

kids letter to Simon

Isaac: What do you love about Ben’s personality?

Simon: Everything! It’s the big smile on his face. As soon as you pull up he is so friendly and nice. He’s just a really nice guy and is so happy.

Isaac: What’s your message to Ben and to all garbo truck fans out there?

Simon: A wave and a smile makes such a difference to our day. Make sure you say hello – us garbo’s really appreciate it.

Isaac: Do you think it makes a difference to the people that you wave to?

Simon: Every little bit helps. The parents love it, the kids love it and makes for a good day and better relations with the community. There are a few people like Ben that I take the extra time for each week and pull up and say hello, toot the horn and wave.

kids letter to Simon

Isaac: The Facebook post that Ben’s mum put up has had over 20,000 likes and 1,200 comments. What did you think when you saw it?

Simon: I was speechless! I never thought something so simple like that would get so much attention. I love my job, I love working for Cleanaway and the relationships I have with community.
I love handing out those cardboard trucks to the kids. Their whole face lights up and you can see that the parents really appreciate you taking the time. It makes such a difference.

Isaac: What makes working at Cleanaway so enjoyable?

Simon: The working environment. We have a great working team and it helps that management is approachable. I couldn’t be happier where I am.

Isaac: Simon, you’re doing an absolutely fantastic job. You’ve certainly made a name for yourself amongst the community and I couldn’t be prouder of how you represent the business. You embody the Cleanaway value “We make a difference” by taking pride in what you do. On behalf of Cleanaway and the Sydney municipal team we really appreciate and thank you for your ongoing efforts.

Share stories, pictures and videos of your favourite garbo hero on your Facebook or Instagram page, tag @cleanawayau and #NotAllHeroesWearCapes and we’ll feature your story on our channels.

To read more heart warming driver stories visit our driver appreciation hub here.

Contact us to learn more about the incredible men and women who are making a sustainable future possible across Australia.

In this together with Westley Trist

Our People

May 27, 2020

Highlights

This year’s theme “In This Together” highlights the fact we as a nation and society can achieve great change and improvement for everyone both at home and at work if we just work together as a collective rather than individually.

Tags: National Reconciliation Week

Highlights

Operations Manager Wes Trist is a long-serving Cleanaway employee and active member of community events such as NAIDOC and Dance Rites. Throughout his 10 years working with Cleanaway, Wes has held many positions including driver and supervisor before his current role as operations manager at the Erskine Park Transfer Station.

Operations Manager Wes Trist is a long-serving Cleanaway employee and active member of community events such as NAIDOC and Dance Rites.

Pictured: Wes at the Erskine Park NAIDOC Week 2018 celebrations

“My job here is to lead and support my team through our commitment to extract recyclable material and divert resources from landfill,” he said. “We also extract saleable commodities which we believe will help us all deliver a sustainable future for our environment and communities.”

Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wes is upbeat about this year’s National Reconciliation Week and mindful of the challenges faced by his community.

“Similar to our Cleanaway values, this year’s theme ‘In This Together’ highlights the fact we as a nation and society can achieve great change and improvement for everyone both at home and at work if we just work together as a collective rather than individually.”

Pictured: Wes (left) at the ELT Conference in March 2019 with Cleanaway CEO and Managing Director Vik Bansal

“I am actively reaching out to friends in a time that we may be doing it tough given unemployment rates – just to remind them of my willingness to assist them and to let them know they aren’t alone,” he said. “It’s probably not so much in celebration, but I think it is very much aligned with ‘In This Together’.”

For Wes, the key to facilitating culturally safe and respectful discussions in the workplace and amongst the community is to be mindful, open, accepting, respectful and to reflect on your own beliefs.

“Meaningful discussions have a higher likelihood of reaching mutually desired outcomes,” he said. “At the very least, you would have laid foundations for genuine positive relationships which underpin our connectedness.”

Wes looks up to Adam Goodes as one of his favourite Indigenous community leaders. “We all know of the racism challenges Adam faced even despite having a stellar career in AFL,” he said.

Wes receiving the ‘Inclusion’ Star Award 2019 from Cleanaway CEO & Managing Director

“However, I cannot go past my own mum,” Wes said with a smile. “Having been raised out on country in far north west NSW during a period of rampant racism, my mum’s progression in her own career with the education department and absolute dedication to her family inspired me every day to overcome my own challenges and to always continue pressing forward.”

Strong family ties are important to Wes, “I am fortunate enough to be married to an Irish woman from Cork,” he said. “It goes without saying this is a mighty culture gap to bridge, but we couldn’t be happier.”

When asked about his Reconciliation message, Wes urged his fellow Australians to get out of their comfort zone. “Immerse yourself in another culture, you will probably enjoy the experience,” he said. “Forget stereotypes and have a discussion with someone about why their culture means so much to them. Ultimately, this is how we enact reconciliation on our own doorsteps.”

Contact us to learn more about the men and women that make up our diverse and expert workforce, making a sustainable future possible across Australia.

Garbo with a heart of gold – meet Blacktown’s Mick Clark

Our People

May 25, 2020

Highlights

“Seeing the oldies returning their few containers and having them tell me ‘that’s paid for my loaf of bread and my milk today’. That feels really good right now.”

Tags: Drivers

Highlights

“Seeing the oldies returning their few containers and having them tell me ‘that’s paid for my loaf of bread and my milk today’. That feels really good right now.”

By Michelle Mandl-Keating
Communications and Engagement Manager

I have worked alongside Cleanaway drivers in support roles for nearly 15 years and there are many drivers and operators whose dedication to the community is obvious in all my interactions with them.

One such driver is Mick Clark, or better known to his peers as, “Clarky”. Mick has a heart of gold, a sense of joy about his role and duty as a driver for Cleanaway and he is one of my many favourite drivers.

Always ready with a welcome smile and a greeting of “Hello Shelly!” from a vast distance away, Mick clearly loves his job and brings joy to everyone he meets.

Mick is about to celebrate a significant milestone of 20 years of service with Cleanaway. In this time, Mick has worked at the Blacktown Sydney Municipal Branch as a Driver Leading Hand for Parramatta City Council. In late 2017, Mick transferred to a new collections branch, CDS (Container Deposit Scheme) Metro – based at the same Blacktown location, but focussed on collecting recyclable containers from Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) for the NSW Return and Earn scheme.

Mick is a lightweight collections driver, meaning he collects from the ‘Plastics, Cartons and Cans’ side of the RVMs. Covering a collection run means that Mick needs to temporarily stop visitors from using the RVM.

Calling out to visitors in a booming voice, “Won’t be long mate, just need to empty the bins!”, Mick shuffles the bins out of the rear of the RVM and carefully loads them into his rear load truck. When Mick completes his collections, he calls out, “You’re back on mate, all good!”

After completing his collections, Mick moves to the rear of the RVM and checks the glass lines to swap bins over. Due to social distancing measures, RVMs currently have one glass line closed. Mick is sure to help visitors access the glass lines while he’s there. “Every bit helps.” says Mick.

Mick takes absolute pride in his truck and its presentation – a familiar theme with all Cleanaway drivers! The truck is their office, and if you are able to glimpse at the insides of a truck, you’re a chosen one!

When I asked Mick about what he appreciates about his job, he said he loves the fact that the Container Deposit Scheme is helping so many people. “Seeing the oldies returning their few containers and having them tell me ‘that’s paid for my loaf of bread and my milk today’. That feels really good right now.”

Thanks Mick for all that you do. You’re an absolute legend.

Share stories, pictures or videos of your favourite garbo on your Facebook or Instagram page, tag @cleanawayau and we’ll feature them on our social media. It’s our way of saying ‘thank you’ to the men and women who work tirelessly to provide an essential service to the community.

Visit our hub to learn more about how you can get involved, ideas for submissions and driver appreciation stories from across Australia.

NSW’s container deposit scheme, Return and Earn, has collected more than 3.5 billion containers since the scheme began in December 2017 through the TOMRA Cleanaway joint venture. For more information about Return and Earn, visit NSW EPA’s Return and Earn site and social channels.

Contact us to learn more about the men and women that make up our diverse and expert workforce, making a sustainable future possible across Australia.

Not all heroes wear capes

Our People

May 8, 2020

Highlights

Meet our true blue garbo heroes working tirelessly to provide an essential service.

Tags: Drivers

Highlights

Meet our true blue garbo heroes working tirelessly to provide an essential service.

We’re paying tribute to our bin-credible garbos – the local heroes in Cleanaway blue who are helping make a sustainable future possible for businesses and communities across Australia. This is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to the men and women who work tirelessly to provide us an essential service.

How to get involved

1. Like/follow our channel @cleanawayAU on Facebook and Instagram and like, comment and share our driver appreciation posts on your social channels.
2. Share your driver stories, pictures or videos on your Facebook or Instagram page, tag @cleanawayAU and #NotAllHeroesWearCapes so we can see your post. We will then feature them on our social channels.
3. Private message us on Facebook and Instagram with your driver stories, pictures and videos and we’ll feature them on our social media and website.

Story ideas

Take a picture or video of your favourite driver (Remember to observe all safety precautions).

Take a picture or video of yourself or your child telling a driver story, saying “thank you” or just telling us why you love our trucks.

Draw a picture or write a letter and send us a picture of it. Be creative.

Here are just a few of the many stories we’ve received from the community. This page will be updated as new stories come in so check back often!

Your driver appreciation stories

Christiane from Freemantle shared a lovely picture of her daughter with a mini bin from our driver.

Our drivers going above and beyond to collect and deliver essential clinical waste bins.

Two year old Solomon and his best mate cheering on our driver.

View this post on Instagram

Every Thursday, Lucy, her two-year-old son, Solomon and his best mate wait out the front of the house for our trucks to arrive. The boys can hardly contain their excitement when they spot the driver. Lucy sent us this video and said, “The driver always finds a way to acknowledge the boys and this is a huge, exciting part of their morning. It was my son’s birthday recently and he was so delighted when I said there would be two recycling trucks coming. Thank you so much, we appreciate the great job you are doing. You are setting a great example for our children.” Thanks for sharing your story with us Lucy. #NotAllHeroesWearCapes #sustainablefuture

A post shared by Cleanaway | Sustainable Future (@cleanawayau) on Jul 23, 2020 at 10:17pm PDT

Three-year-old TJ from Karratha overjoyed with his colouring activity dropped off by our driver

View this post on Instagram

Three-year-old TJ from Karratha is a garbo fan and leaves his little blue bin out every week for bin day. When our driver spotted the mini bin, he left a little treat – a colouring activity that just made TJ’s day. TJ’s mum Trish said, “I want to say a massive thank you to the driver. TJ was so surprised to see what was in his mini bin when he got home. The ‘bin man’ is on our Christmas list!” Thanks for sharing your story Trish and TJ. #NotAllHeroesWearCapes #sustainablefuture

A post shared by Cleanaway | Sustainable Future (@cleanawayau) on Jul 15, 2020 at 11:00pm PDT

Driver Colin visits Flynn’s garbo-themed birthday party

View this post on Instagram

Angela’s three-year-old son, Flynn is a huge garbage truck fan or “Bin Truck” as he calls it. When our team in Cairns heard about his garbo themed birthday party, Area Manager Wayne and Driver Colin arranged for a special visit to Angela’s home where the whole family was treated to a close up look at our truck and mini Cleanaway bins. Happy birthday Flynn! #NotAllHeroesWearCapes #sustainablefuture

A post shared by Cleanaway | Sustainable Future (@cleanawayau) on Jul 2, 2020 at 10:00pm PDT

Driver Mitchel Linke makes a surprise visit for little Harry’s fifth birthday party

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Little Harry’s 5th birthday was made extra special with a surprise visit from our Driver Mitchel Linke recently. Harry’s mum told us that he absolutely loves our trucks – he runs out to the kerb every week just to give our driver a wave. So as a special birthday treat, we organised a visit to their home in Altona where Harry got a close up look at our truck and a grand tour of the driver’s seat. #NotAllHeroesWearCapes #sustainablefuture

A post shared by Cleanaway | Sustainable Future (@cleanawayau) on Jun 25, 2020 at 10:00pm PDT

Wentworth Shire Council saying thank you to all the hard working waste management staff in the area.

Driver Jean from Balwyn was gifted a drawing of a rubbish truck by little Archie and Jean was happy to return the favour!

View this post on Instagram

Every week on garbage collection day, Archie from Balwyn waits patiently with his grandpa to say hello to his favourite truck driver, Jean. Little Archie is fascinated with Cleanaway trucks and likes to draw his dream truck. It was an extra special Wednesday for Archie when he was handed some goodies by his favourite truck driver, and Jean was given a drawing by Archie to say thank you for stopping by. #NotAllHeroesWearCapes #sustainablefuture

A post shared by Cleanaway | Sustainable Future (@cleanawayau) on Jun 11, 2020 at 10:00pm PDT

Birthday treat for a three-year old truck fan while social distancing? No problem. Driver Allan Bennett and Supervisor Ash Warton dropped by little Arkady’s home in Geelong for a surprise treat.

Great job, Simon for going the extra mile! Read the full story of Driver Simon Abela’s incredible friendship with his mate Ben here: https://www.cleanaway.com.au/sustainable-future/simon-ben-friendship/

View this post on Instagram

Driver Simon Abela’s friendship with 30-year-old garbo fan Ben Gangemi has captured the hearts of thousands of residents in @thesydneyhills and beyond. Branch Manager Isaac Mascord caught up with Simon to learn more about what makes Ben such a special bloke. Read the full story from the link in the bio #NotAllHeroesWearCapes #sustainablefuture

A post shared by Cleanaway | Sustainable Future (@cleanawayau) on May 28, 2020 at 10:00pm PDT

Amazing scenes from Moreton Bay Regional Council where the Moreton Bay team rallied together to say thank you to the Cleanaway crew servicing the region. Drivers were presented with a certificate of appreciation from Councillor Mark Booth Div 2 MBRC, Cleanaway and the founder of Bin Isolation Group Danielle Askew.

Communications and Engagement Manager Michelle Mandl-Keating celebrates Mick ‘Clarky’ Clark, a well-loved collections garbo for NSW’s Container Deposit Scheme Return and Earn who’s approaching an incredible milestone of 20 years working with Cleanaway.

Garbo fan Joe gets a surprise from his best friend. Thanks @sarahpiening_ for sharing with us your story.

View this post on Instagram

Every Thursday morning for about a year, Joe has run out to sit on the letterbox and wave to our garbo. They’ve become such good friends that this morning he brought him his very own @cleanawayau beanie 😍

A post shared by @ sarahpiening_ on May 21, 2020 at 12:38am PDT

Driver Andrew took a few minutes out of his day to spend time with Harper and his mum Haidee in Melbourne.

View this post on Instagram

Harper from Victoria is a huge truck fan and often waits outside the house to catch a glimpse of our trucks, or watches YouTube videos of bins being emptied. When our driver Andrew stopped by, Harper was over the moon. Harper’s mum, Haidee said, “I just want to say a very big thank you to Andrew who dropped around and allowed my son to have all of his dreams come true. Harper has CLN2 which is a rare genetic disorder that is life limiting and comes with uncontrolled seizures. He had the biggest smile and I have some amazing memories to hold on to. He keeps looking over the pictures and videos that were taken with a huge smile.” Thanks Haidee for sharing your lovely story with us. #sustainablefuture

A post shared by Cleanaway | Sustainable Future (@cleanawayau) on Mar 8, 2020 at 6:00pm PDT

Daryl visits our Morwell depot where he was shown the inside of a truck and how it works.

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Remember Darryl from Morwell who dressed up as a Cleanaway truck for Book Week this year? We invited him to our depot recently where Darryl took a close up look at our trucks and even had a go at the driver’s seat. Darryl’s mum Erica said he was absolutely thrilled about the experience, “Many thanks to all involved in making this happen for my boy! Tracey and all the lovely staff at the Morwell depot. There are kids that love garbage trucks, and then there is Darryl. Mark the truck driver stayed back after work just to put a smile on his face. It’s amazing what your company has done for him, and as an almost 6-year-old, all his dreams have come true. Forever grateful mum here.” Thanks Darryl, you made our day! #sustainablefuture #futurerecycler #ecochamp #garbagetrucks #garbo

A post shared by Cleanaway | Sustainable Future (@cleanawayau) on Dec 26, 2019 at 8:00pm PST

A high five for Mitch and Libby in Bayswater

Going the extra mile

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It always makes our day when someone stops to say hello to our #garbos. Thanks Belinda for sharing this lovely story with us. #sustainablefuture “I just wanted to say a big thanks to your driver that services Bayswater, WA. My kids Mitch and Libby love seeing your team come by and were so happy that your driver stopped and accepted some chips and a drink the kids prepared for him and said hi. The high five your driver gave was icing on the cake for the kids. We appreciate your service and please thank your driver for being so sweet!” #futurerecyclers #ecochamps

A post shared by Cleanaway | Sustainable Future (@cleanawayau) on Oct 10, 2019 at 11:02pm PDT

Driver Garry rescues a little joey on the side of a road in New England.

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While on the way to a packaged hazardous waste collection in the New England area, Driver Garry Tait and Chemist Belinda Paton from our Technical and Environmental Services team spotted a little face on the side of the road – a little joey. Garry found a safe place to pull the truck over so they could check on him and found his leg looked damaged. Garry picked up the joey and after a little squirming it was quite happy to get some pats and be carried back to the truck. Garry bundled up the joey in his jumper and sat it on Belinda’s lap for the drive to Manilla to see the vet. Once they arrived, the nurse organised a cage with towels for Garry to place the joey in (and negotiate for his jumper back!) Well done Garry and Belinda for going above and beyond the call of duty #sustainablefuture

A post shared by Cleanaway | Sustainable Future (@cleanawayau) on Sep 19, 2019 at 10:39pm PDT

Driver Rob organises a special treat for Jet in Melbourne.

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The Cleanaway team in Melbourne recently organised a special treat for Jet, a young waste truck enthusiast who missed out on our visit to his school. Operations Supervisor Ash Warton and Side Lift Driver Rob Brooks drove to Jet’s home in a side lift vehicle where Jet had a go at the coveted driver’s seat. After the visit, his mum Amber, said “I just wanted to say a really big ‘thank you’ again to Ash and Rob for making this happen for Jet, and taking time out from their busy day. Jet has been talking about it non stop and has not stopped playing with the special Cleanaway merchandise he was given. On the drive home he just kept saying how he just can’t wait to be a rubbish truck driver! I’m sure this isn’t the last you have seen of Jet.” #sustainablefuture #futurerecycler #futuregarbo

A post shared by Cleanaway | Sustainable Future (@cleanawayau) on Sep 13, 2019 at 12:16am PDT

Driver Sinead helps young Ivy overcome her fear of trucks in Geelong.

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The sight of a garbage truck used to terrify young Ivy from Geelong but we may have just won a new fan. It used to be a traumatic chain of events at Ivy’s house every time the garbage truck came to collect their bins. Dad Michael said, “Ivy would be in tears and screams, running as fast as her little legs would take her to avoid the noise, flashing lights and sight of the truck. This was the situation for some time now but when was escalating I thought, what can I do?” Michael decided to reach out to Cleanaway’s Geelong office. “I thought a visit to our local depot might do the trick, thinking it might be possible to casually swing by one morning, perhaps speak to one of your employees and illustrate to Ivy that garbage collection trucks are all perfectly safe and most definitely harmless. Cleanaway offered to come to us instead.” The Cleanaway team led by driver Sinead Nolan paid a visit to Ivy’s home where Ivy had a chance to sit in the passenger’s seat and learn all about what goes on in a collections truck. “Initially Ivy was pretty uncomfortable and didn’t really want to have anything of it but with Sinead’s assistance, friendliness and patience, my daughter’s whole mood began to change. Sinead explained and educated Ivy on all of the gadgets and processes involved in regular day to day bin collection. Later, Ivy was more than happy and content – she actually didn’t want to get out of the truck!” said Michael. “A huge thanks to Sinead, Ivy’s garbage truck driver friend and the team at Cleanaway. l’m sure like most industries, the majority of your customer feedback will be complaints, not positive like our experience so I thought l would take the time to write this email.” wrote Michael in an email to Cleanaway. Thanks Ivy and Michael for your incredible story. #sustainablefuture @elitefxpt

A post shared by Cleanaway | Sustainable Future (@cleanawayau) on Sep 5, 2019 at 11:00pm PDT

The ‘truck bin man’ makes Bentley’s day in Narangba.

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#Futurerecycler little Bentley from Narangba is fascinated by our trucks and sits at his front door every Tuesday listening out for the “truck bin” as he calls it. When our truck comes down his street, Bentley sits on his mailbox and waves his hand as fast as he can to the “Mr Truck Bin man” who always gives Bentley a huge wave and smile back. Bentley’s mum Jade said, “You truly do have an amazing employee who makes Tuesday that little bit more special for Bentley. Thank you Narangba “Truck Bin Man” – you’re amazing!” Thanks Bentley and Jade, for making our day! #sustainablefuture

A post shared by Cleanaway | Sustainable Future (@cleanawayau) on Aug 1, 2019 at 6:28pm PDT

Driver Colin shows Footscray City Primary students how a rear lift truck works.

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Over 200 students at Footscray City Primary School west of Melbourne were recently treated to a sustainability incursion from Cleanaway, including Liquids Regional Sales Manager Danny Power who’s kids go to the school. Driver Colin Bishop did a great job showing the students the rear lift Cleanaway truck with students getting a chance to get up close. #sustainablefuture

A post shared by Cleanaway | Sustainable Future (@cleanawayau) on Apr 22, 2019 at 11:55pm PDT

Driver Glen surprises Jacob from Morley for his birthday.

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Every week, little Jacob from Morley waits at 7am for Glen, our Cleanaway driver to watch him empty the bins. When Jacob turned four last week, Glen surprised him with a little bag of goodies for his birthday. Jacob’s reaction is a joy to watch! #futurerecyclers #sustainablefuture

A post shared by Cleanaway | Sustainable Future (@cleanawayau) on Mar 4, 2019 at 11:32pm PST

Driver Pat gives Ballam Park Primary students a close up look at our truck.

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Year 1 Ballam Park Primary School students had a great time at a recent classroom incursion hosted by Olga Ghiri, Cleanaway’s Stakeholder and Community Engagement Manager. The program is designed to be a fun and engaging way for students to get a head start on sustainability and learn about good waste management practices. The highlight of the day was when our driver, Pat Reuben gave the group of enthusiastic #futurerecyclers a close up look at Cleanaway’s truck. #sustainablefuture

A post shared by Cleanaway | Sustainable Future (@cleanawayau) on Oct 18, 2018 at 11:44pm PDT

Thank you’s from our inbox

Recycling truck driver deserves a gold star

“On the morning of Friday 22May in Galvin St Altona, while I was walking home about 10.45am, the recycling bin truck was picking up yellow bins. I noticed some loose rubbish blown onto the road when a bin was emptying. The driver moved to the next bin and emptied it. Next, he reversed, got out of his truck, picked up the rubbish, and proceeded. The very next bin was blocked by both a roadworks sign at the kerb, and a parked car. The driver stopped a little further along, got out, shifted the bin to where it could be picked up, emptied it, and put it back outside its correct property.

I was so impressed to see a man taking pride in his work, and doing it conscientiously. Congratulations to that man. I hope he works in our street every time.

I would like you to pass on the appreciation of Galvin St residents. (There were at least 4 who watched with interest what would happen when the truck reached the “difficult” bin). Well done, that man!”

Anne

Leaving no rubbish behind in Hobson’s Bay

“This morning my green rubbish bin was collected from my street and I would like to thank the gentleman that was collecting the rubbish. Couple of bags had fallen on the floor out of the bin and my daughter noticed that he got out of the truck picked up the rubbish off the floor.

Violeta

Stories from the field

There’s more to being a garbo than simply driving a truck. Some of our long-serving garbos share their stories on the road:

Driver Trainer Jim Davidson’s remarkable journey across Queensland
Meet a family of Cleanaway garbos
Five decades with Alan Burke
Meet Cleanaway’s sports hero: Baeden Choppy
On the road with Anthony Berge
An Ollie good day with Cleanaway

Resources for garbo fans

Check out some of the newest additions to our fleet and learn more about staying safe near our trucks:

Bin placement and safety during COVID-19
Business as usual with Cleanaway on the Central Coast
Pedestrian safety around Cleanaway trucks
On the road with our trucks
Welcoming our electric collections fleet in WA
Zero emissions electric collections fleet
Check out Cleanaway split trucks

Got more garbo stories?

Message us on Facebook or Instagram to share your own stories and photos of Cleanaway garbos and we’ll feature them on this page.

Making hand sanitisers for our essential workers during COVID-19

Our People

April 30, 2020

Highlights

This exclusive supply ensures our teams have enough hand sanitiser to do their jobs effectively and hygienically.

Tags: COVID-19

Highlights

This exclusive supply ensures our teams have enough hand sanitiser to do their jobs effectively and hygienically.

When access to supplies of bottled hand sanitiser became difficult due to COVID-19, our team came up with a local solution to bottle our own.

While bottled sanitiser was difficult to get hold of, Cleanaway was able to source intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) of hand sanitiser. Our Health & Safety, Procurement and ASP Plastics team came up with a plan to use our plastic container manufacturing capability to bottle our own.

The facility, acquired with the ASP Plastics business, had just started producing Cleanaway Daniels sharps collectors on-shore from St Mary’s in NSW in January. Working quickly, we agreed on a design for manufacturing the bottles, purchased the hand sanitiser and got to work decanting hand sanitiser into our own labelled bottles.

Cleanaway hand sanitizers

Available only for Cleanaway staff, this exclusive supply ensures our teams have enough hand sanitiser to do their jobs effectively and hygienically. It also demonstrates another benefit of our onshore manufacturing capabilities, which provides an extra layer of protection to guarantee Cleanaway has stable supplies of items critical to our operations.

Making hand sanitisers for our essential workers during COVID-19

From left: Health & Safety Business Partner Ketukumar Bhatt, National Workforce team members Abigail Afrifa and Ravi Gondaliya filling bottles, pasting labels and packing boxes of hand sanitiser.

Read more about how we are protecting our staff as we continue to provide essential waste services during these challenging times.

Contact us to learn more about the men and women that make up our diverse and expert workforce, making a sustainable future possible across Australia.