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Veolia to acquire US hazardous waste operator Clean Earth for £2.29bn

Veolia logo, veolia building, Shutterstock
Image credit: Shutterstock

Veolia has agreed a deal to acquire U.S. hazardous-waste specialist Clean Earth from Enviri for around $3 billion (£2.29 billion) including debt.

Pending customary regulatory approvals and a shareholder vote at Enviri, the transaction is expected to close in mid-2026.

Estelle Brachlianoff, Veolia’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “This acquisition is a major step in the Group transformation and the strengthening of its financial profile.

“It allows us to unlock the full value potential of our US Hazardous Waste activities and to double our size on this critical fast-growing sector, creating a number two player.

“We reinforce our global capacities in Hazardous Waste and further increase our international footprint.”

Clean Earth acquisition

Clean Earth operates 82 sites across the United States, including 19 Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilities (TSDFs) and more than 700 operating permits nationwide.

The company’s scale and portfolio are described by Veolia as “highly complementary”, adding treatment capabilities, advanced technologies for contaminants including PFAS and an extended logistics network.

The acquisition will enable Veolia to expand into underserved regions, particularly the Southeast and Pacific Northwest, while strengthening its services to fast-growing sectors such as retail and healthcare.

Enviri initially acquired Clean Earth for $625 million in 2019, and announced that it will spin off its Harsco Environmental and Rail businesses into a new company called New Enviri.

Veolia’s US expansion

The deal continued Veolia’s ongoing expansion in the United States.

In recent years, the Group has completed a series of acquisitions that have pushed its US revenues to $6.3 billion.

By integrating Clean Earth, Veolia is set to double its hazardous waste footprint, creating what it said will be the second-largest operator in the US hazardous waste sector.

The move also forms part of Veolia’s wider “GreenUp” strategy, which includes rotating out of mature assets, totalling €8.5 billion of disposals since the programme launched, and refocusing on high-growth environmental services.

Earlier this year, the waste management company opened a new hazardous waste facility in Newcastle-upon-Tyne as part of the GreenUp strategy.

Brachlianoff added: “We also further accelerate our asset rotation strategy and portfolio pruning with an additional c.€2bn+ assets disposals in mature activities, leading to a total of €8.5 billion of asset rotation since the launch of GreenUp.

“This continued transformation of our portfolio enhances the growth profile and strength of our Group, uniquely positioned to tackle the sustained demand for environmental security.”

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