Australia Waste Management Market Size, Share and Outlook - Growth Analysis Report and Forecast Trends (2026-2035)

How is the Australia waste management market structured, and where is it heading?

Quick Answer

The Australia waste management market covers collection, treatment, processing, disposal, and resource recovery of waste streams generated by residential, commercial, industrial, and government sources. This includes solid waste collection, landfill and treatment operations, waste remediation and materials recovery, and medical waste management. In 2025, the core managed waste services market is valued at AUD 11.24 billion (solid waste collection AUD 7.30 billion, treatment and disposal AUD 3.20 billion, medical waste AUD 744.50 million). Australia generated 76 megatonnes of total waste in FY 2022-2023, with a national resource recovery rate of 66 per cent, against the 80 per cent 2030 target under the National Waste Policy Action Plan 2024. The waste management market is projected to reach AUD 15.93 billion by 2035 at a 3.5 per cent CAGR, anchored by new energy-from-waste capacity, the AUD 190 million Recycling Modernisation Fund, and long-term government procurement.

Market Overview

The Australia waste management market is at a genuine inflection point. Valued at AUD 11.24 billion in 2025, the core managed waste services market is on track to reach AUD 15.93 billion by 2035 at a 3.5 per cent CAGR. Three forces are shaping this trajectory. The first is policy pressure: Australia's environment ministers agreed on 10 December 2024 to the updated National Waste Policy Action Plan 2024, reinforcing seven national targets for 2030 that include an 80 per cent average resource recovery rate and halving organic waste sent to landfill.

The second force is new infrastructure: Australia's first utility-scale energy-from-waste facility at Kwinana, Western Australia received its first waste delivery in July 2024 and was officially opened in November 2025. The third is consolidation around long-term government contracts, most clearly demonstrated by the December 2024 award of a AUD 560 million six-year Defence resource recovery and waste management contract to Cleanaway and Veolia. Long-term outcomes-based procurement is structurally changing the waste management market's competitive dynamics.

Australia generated 76 megatonnes of total waste in FY 2022-2023, of which 25.7 megatonnes (~34 per cent) was still sent to landfill per DCCEEW's National Waste and Resource Recovery Report 2024. The national resource recovery rate reached 66 per cent in FY 2022-2023, up from 61 per cent in FY 2016-2017. Reaching the 80 per cent 2030 target requires an additional 11 million tonnes of material to be diverted from disposal each year. That's a meaningful infrastructure and operational challenge for the waste management market over the forecast period.

Key Market Trends and Insights

• Regional performance gap: South Australia recorded the highest resource recovery rate of all Australian states at 82 per cent in FY 2022-2023, driven by a well-established container deposit scheme, sustained organics processing investment, and strong commercial and industrial recycling participation. Well ahead of the national 66 per cent average.
• Fastest-growing service segment: Waste treatment and disposal is the fastest-growing segment within the core managed waste services market, as state landfill levies rise and new energy-from-waste capacity comes online. Kwinana operational from late 2024; East Rockingham expected in 2025.
• Infrastructure investment surge: The AUD 190 million federal Recycling Modernisation Fund is catalysing ~AUD 1 billion in combined government and industry investment, adding over one million tonnes of annual processing capacity for glass, plastic, paper, cardboard, and tyres.
• Long-term government contracting: The December 2024 AUD 560 million Defence resource recovery contract signals a structural shift toward performance-based, outcomes-driven procurement, with explicit alignment to the federal 80 per cent waste diversion target, social enterprise participation, and First Nations and defence veteran employment pathways.
• Waste export bans driving domestic processing: Progressive bans on exports of unprocessed glass, plastic, paper, and tyres implemented 2021-2024 forced domestic processing capacity build-out. The Recycling Modernisation Fund projects are the direct response.

Australia Waste Management Market Size and Forecast

Key Takeaways: Australia Waste Management Market

National Waste Policy Action Plan 2024 Sets Ambitious 2030 Recovery Targets

The National Waste Policy Action Plan 2024, agreed by Australia's environment ministers on 10 December 2024, sets seven national targets for 2030: an 80 per cent resource recovery rate, halving organic waste to landfill, phasing out problematic and unnecessary plastics, significantly increasing government procurement of recycled content, reducing total waste per capita by 10 per cent, providing nationally consistent infrastructure data, and managing embedded waste across supply chains. These targets apply to all jurisdictions and the waste management market's infrastructure and operational practices over the forecast period.

Energy-from-Waste Capacity Represents a Structural Shift

Australia's first utility-scale energy-from-waste facility at Kwinana, Western Australia received its first waste delivery in July 2024 and was officially opened in November 2025. The facility processes residual waste that would otherwise be landfilled, generating electricity in the process. East Rockingham is expected to commence commercial operations in 2025 pending commissioning. Additional EfW projects are at various planning stages in NSW, Victoria, and Queensland. EfW reshapes the waste management market's end-of-life disposal economics, shifting residual waste away from landfill toward energy recovery at meaningful scale for the first time in Australia.

Long-Term Government Contracting Is Restructuring Competitive Dynamics

The December 2024 AUD 560 million Defence resource recovery and waste management contract, awarded to Cleanaway and Veolia, represents a new model of outcomes-based procurement. The six-year contract includes explicit alignment to the 80 per cent waste diversion target, social enterprise participation goals, and First Nations and defence veteran employment pathways. Similar long-term outcomes-based models are being adopted by state government procurement across health, education, and correctional facility waste contracts. The waste management market is shifting from transactional service provision toward outcome-linked partnerships that favour scale operators with compliance, reporting, and innovation capabilities.

Key Insight

The Australia waste management market needs to divert an additional 11 million tonnes of material annually to hit the 80 per cent 2030 target. That requires meaningful new capacity in organics processing, advanced recycling, and energy-from-waste, alongside behavioural change in commercial and industrial waste generation. The AUD 190 million Recycling Modernisation Fund catalysing ~AUD 1 billion in combined investment is a structural response. South Australia's 82 per cent rate demonstrates the target is achievable with the right policy settings. The forecast period will be defined by how quickly the other states close the gap with SA.

Key Trends and Recent Developments in the Australia Waste Management Market

National Waste Policy Action Plan 2024, December 2024

Australia's environment ministers agreed on 10 December 2024 to the updated National Waste Policy Action Plan 2024. It reinforces seven national targets for 2030: 80 per cent average resource recovery rate, halving organic waste to landfill, phasing out problematic plastics, significantly increasing government recycled content procurement, reducing per capita waste by 10 per cent, nationally consistent data reporting, and managing embedded waste across supply chains. The NWPAP is the waste management market's defining policy framework through the forecast period.

Kwinana Energy-from-Waste Facility Opens, November 2025

Australia's first utility-scale energy-from-waste facility at Kwinana, Western Australia received its first waste delivery in July 2024 and was officially opened in November 2025. The facility processes residual waste streams that would otherwise be landfilled, generating electricity. East Rockingham is expected to commence commercial operations in 2025 pending commissioning. Additional EfW facilities are at various planning and development stages across Victoria, NSW, and Queensland. EfW is the key technology shift in the waste management market's end-of-life disposal segment.

Defence Resource Recovery Contract, December 2024

The Department of Defence awarded a AUD 560 million six-year resource recovery and waste management contract to Cleanaway and Veolia in December 2024. The contract includes explicit alignment to the 80 per cent federal waste diversion target, social enterprise participation goals, and First Nations and defence veteran employment pathways. It represents a structural shift toward performance-based, outcomes-driven procurement that is being adopted more broadly across government procurement in the waste management market.

Recycling Modernisation Fund Rollout

The AUD 190 million federal Recycling Modernisation Fund continues to catalyse ~AUD 1 billion in combined government and industry investment, adding over one million tonnes of annual processing capacity for glass, plastic, paper, cardboard, and tyres. Projects are delivered across every state and territory. The Fund is the direct federal response to the progressive bans on waste exports implemented 2021-2024, which created a domestic infrastructure gap.

Australia Waste Management Market Segmentation

Market Breakup by Service Type

• Solid Waste Collection Services: The largest segment at AUD 7.30 billion in 2025, growing at 2.0 per cent historical CAGR. Kerbside residential collection (garbage, recycling, organics), commercial collection, and industrial waste pickup. Veolia, Cleanaway, Suez (now Veolia-owned), and local councils dominate.
• Waste Treatment and Disposal: AUD 3.20 billion in 2025, the fastest-growing segment in the waste management market. Landfill operations, energy-from-waste facilities, materials recovery facilities, and composting operations. New EfW capacity is shifting revenue mix.
• Medical Waste Services: AUD 744.50 million in 2025. Specialised collection, treatment, and disposal of clinical and pharmaceutical waste from hospitals, laboratories, and aged care. SteriHealth, Cleanaway ToxFree, and smaller specialists operate in this niche.
• Waste Remediation and Materials Recovery: AUD 8.40 billion in 2025 (distinct from the core managed waste services total). Scrap metal processing, secondary materials trading, and site remediation. Commercially distinct activities from collection and disposal.

Market Breakup by Region

• New South Wales: The largest state by waste generation and revenue. Strong commercial and industrial waste segment concentrated in Sydney. Resource recovery rate tracking toward the 80 per cent target.
• Victoria: Second-largest by revenue. Container Deposit Scheme launched 2023. Strong organics processing investment in rural Victoria.
• South Australia: The national leader at 82 per cent resource recovery rate. Established container deposit scheme dating from 1977, sustained organics processing investment, and strong commercial participation.
• Queensland: Growing waste management market with the Brisbane 2032 Olympics buildup driving new infrastructure investment. Container Refund Scheme launched 2018.
• Western Australia: Home to Australia's first utility-scale EfW facility at Kwinana. East Rockingham EfW facility in commissioning. Leading the EfW transition nationally.

Competitive Landscape and Key Players in the Australia Waste Management Market

The Australia waste management market is dominated by two large integrated operators (Cleanaway and Veolia), a tier of mid-sized specialists, and a very long tail of local and regional operators. Government procurement, landfill tenure, and EfW capacity access are the primary sources of competitive differentiation.

Cleanaway Waste Management (ASX: CWY)

Australia's largest ASX-listed waste management company by revenue. Integrated collection, resource recovery, and energy services across all states and territories. Joint winner of the AUD 560 million Defence contract with Veolia. Major investments in EfW (partner in East Rockingham), organics processing, and liquid waste treatment.

Veolia Australia and New Zealand

Global waste and environmental services major, significant Australian footprint following the 2022 acquisition of Suez's Australian operations. Joint winner of the Defence contract. Strong in municipal, commercial, and industrial waste, alongside water treatment services. The key competitor to Cleanaway across the waste management market.

Remondis Australia

German family-owned recycling, service, and water major with significant Australian operations. Strong commercial and industrial waste presence. Active in the Recycling Modernisation Fund-supported infrastructure build-out. Operates advanced materials recovery facilities.

Acciona Environmental / Ventia

Acciona Environmental operates major municipal and commercial contracts across Australia. Ventia (ASX: VNT) provides integrated infrastructure services including waste to government, defence, and corporate clients.

Bingo Industries (Private)

Acquired by CPE Capital and Macquarie Infrastructure in 2022 (now privately held). Focus on building and demolition waste, skip bins, and resource recovery across eastern Australia. Significant MRF capacity in Sydney and Melbourne.

Other significant participants include Suez Recycling (now Veolia), WM New Zealand, SteriHealth (medical waste specialist), Sims Metal Management (metals recycling), Pact Group (plastic circular economy), Visy Industries (paper and packaging recycling), Re.Group, and a broad base of local council-owned and private regional operators.