Cleanaway

National Reconciliation Week 2026 is underway and Cleanaway continues turning our RAP 2025–2027 commitments into action.

This year’s theme, “All In”, recognises that reconciliation is everyone’s responsibility including the choices we make through the goods and services we buy, and the suppliers we engage.

A key priority for us is strengthening engagement with First Nations-owned businesses across our operations. During FY26, we’ve expanded opportunities with these organisations across recycling, litter collection, grounds maintenance, operational services and more.

As part of NRW, we hosted a practical webinar for employees involved in purchasing and supplier decisions: Spend Better: How and why to engage First Nations-owned businesses. Featuring Supply Nation, Soft Landing and Cleanaway Procurement representatives, the session focused on practical ways our people can build capability and make more informed, respectful procurement decisions.

Alongside this work, we continue supporting teams through our First Nations Procurement Portal, Business Directory, Employee Network and ongoing RAP education initiatives.





Learn more: https://www.cleanaway.com.au/our-people-and-values/reconciliation

What does safety really look like on the ground? For Cleanaway Guiding Stars Awards Finalist and Driver Josh Key, it means noticing the small things that others might miss.

During a routine site visit, Josh noticed something unusual near a front lift bin. Trusting his instincts, he checked and found a child inside. His quick action prevented what could have been a serious incident.

On another job, he identified an unsafe load while operating a hook truck. He stopped work immediately and escalated the issue, ensuring the load was corrected before continuing.

It is this kind of care that keeps our communities safe and our customers confident in the work we do every day.

Well done Josh 👏 You’re a credit to Drivers in our industry.

Driver Josh Key is one of our Guiding Stars Awards finalists for “Keep each other safe.” The Cleanaway Guiding Stars Awards celebrate our people who turn our Guiding Principles into real outcomes for our customers and communities every day.

Josh is just one of the many people at Cleanaway making a real difference for customers, communities and the environment. See our available roles here: https://www.cleanaway.com.au/careers and our services here: https://www.cleanaway.com.au/our-services

Here's Josh pictured front and centre at our recent Awards night with other winners and finalists.

Through a partnership between Cleanaway, Replas - Recycled Plastic Products and GV Health, thousands of kilograms of hospital waste are being diverted from landfill and transformed into durable new products for commercial and community use.

At Goulburn Valley Health, a new blue bench made entirely from recycled hospital materials including sterilisation wrap, plastic kidney dishes, curtains and patient gowns is the showcase piece for a collaboration that highlights what’s possible when healthcare recycling moves beyond collection and into real circular outcomes.

As we celebrate Australian Made Week by Australian Made Campaign, it’s great to see Australian innovation and local collaboration delivering outcomes for onshore recycling and reuse.

Today, we’re celebrating our Health Services Driver Duane, a valued member of our Dandenong South team for over 8 years, who recently received a glowing shout-out from our customer, a biotech company based in Melbourne.

The customer wrote, “Duane has been providing exceptional service to us with our medical waste from our laboratory. Always so friendly and he goes the extra mile any and every time. We are ever so grateful for the service provided. I could not recommend him and his team highly enough.”

For Duane, the job is about making sure the customer feels genuinely cared for. When he noticed a potential delay in servicing the customer, he didn't just leave them waiting. He took the initiative, giving them his direct number and telling them:

"If you're going to run out before your next service, call me. I’ll see if I can organise a drop-off and get you sorted before your due time."

As Duane puts it: “Great service is getting ahead of potential issues and making sure the customer is heard. There is nothing worse than a delayed service. It’s knowing you have someone who can help that makes the difference."

We are so proud to have Duane on our team. His commitment to making life easier for our customers is what sets Cleanaway apart.

Thank you for everything you do, Duane!

In celebration of International Compost Awareness Week, Cleanaway is proud to showcase how we support local communities by returning FOGO‑derived compost for use in parks and gardens.

In partnership with Blacktown City Council, Food and Garden Organics (FOGO) collected from residents’ green-lidded bins are processed locally at Cleanaway’s Eastern Creek Organics facility and transformed into a nutrient‑rich compost.

At the Lalor Park Community Garden, volunteers are using this compost to enrich garden beds, helping improve soil health, enhance water retention and support strong plant growth.

It is a great example of how community participation, council partnerships and the right infrastructure can work together to deliver genuine circular economy and positive environmental outcomes close to home.

Over a 100 year period, food waste in landfill can produce more than twice its weight in greenhouse gas emissions*. Separating food waste keeps it out of landfill and allows it to be turned into compost instead, where it can deliver environmental benefits.

Tip: Only put food scraps, garden organics and accepted bin liners in your FOGO bin. Keep out all other plastics, packaging, glass, metal and nappies for safer sorting.

Cleanaway is a proud sponsor of Week, hosted by Centre for Organic Research & Education (CORE).

*Source: National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER)

Cleanaway is proud to be a sponsor of International Compost Awareness Week, hosted by Centre for Organic Research & Education (CORE).

Compost is made by recycling food scraps and garden clippings into nutrient rich material that supports plant growth and improves soil health.

When organics go to landfill, they break down and generate harmful greenhouse gases. Composting helps reduce these emissions while also decreasing landfill and putting organic material to better use.

At Cleanaway, we turn the organic waste we collect into compost through our FOGO (Food Organics and Garden Organics) processing facilities in New South Wales and Victoria. This compost can then be returned to local farms, parks and gardens, where it restores nutrients and improves soil structure.

By correctly using your FOGO or Commercial Organics bin, you can help turn everyday waste into something that genuinely gives back, supporting a stronger circular economy.

To learn more about our compost, visit cleanaway.com.au/organic waste/compost

We’ve teamed up with Coles and SmartEnds Australia to trial smart bin camera tech in-store, helping get waste sorted properly from the start. At two Coles stores in northern NSW, cameras are now inside general waste and organics bins.

They capture what’s being thrown away and help build a clearer picture of what’s really going into each bin.

So what does that mean for everyday waste?

✅ less recycling ending up in landfill
⚡ faster feedback when something’s in the wrong bin
🧠 smarter decisions in-store
🌏 and less waste overall

It’s early days, but this is all about making recycling simpler and more effective — for everyone.

Where should this go next? What would you want this kind of tech to help solve?