Waste Treatment and Disposal Services: ABS business counts
ANZSIC class 2921, in the Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services division.
- Actively trading businesses in Waste Treatment and Disposal Services (ANZSIC class 2921) across Australia, June 2025
- 804 businessesAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, June 2025.
- Actively trading non-employing businesses in Waste Treatment and Disposal Services (ANZSIC class 2921) across Australia, June 2025
- 380 businessesAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, June 2025.
- ABS business entries in Waste Treatment and Disposal Services (ANZSIC class 2921) across Australia: counted at June 2025 but not June 2024
- 75 businessesAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, 2024-25.
- ABS business exits in Waste Treatment and Disposal Services (ANZSIC class 2921) across Australia: counted at June 2024 but not June 2025
- 96 businessesAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, 2024-25.
About these figures
- These ABS figures count actively trading businesses, not workers, sites or venues, each in its main state or territory.
- Entries and exits compare two 30 June counts. They are not counts of openings and closures.
- The ABS adjusts its counts slightly to protect confidentiality, so a small number or a zero is approximate, not proof that no such business exists.
Summary of the ABS class definition
In this class, the ABS counts businesses mainly engaged in the treatment or disposal of solid, liquid and other waste types (including hazardous). Also, included are businesses mainly engaged in operating landfills, combustors, incinerators, compost dumps and other treatment facilities (except sewage treatment facilities), including waste transfer stations.
Examples the ABS lists:
- Garbage disposal service
- Hazardous waste treatment or disposal service
- Operating landfills
- Operating other waste treatment facilities
- Rubbish dump or tip operation
- Sanitary disposal service
- Septic tank pumping or cleaning service (except repairs and maintenance)
The ABS counts businesses mainly engaged in this related work in other classes:
- operating sewerage or drainage systems or sewage treatment plants are included in Class 2812 Sewerage and Drainage Services
- repair and maintenance of septic tanks are included in Class 3231 Plumbing Services
The ABS page for class 2921 gives the full definition and what the class leaves out.
By employment size
| Businesses | Count |
|---|---|
| All businesses | 804 businesses |
| Non-employing | 380 businesses |
| 1 to 4 employees | 238 businesses |
| 5 to 19 employees | 136 businesses |
| 20 to 199 employees | 49 businesses |
| 200 or more employees | 3 businesses |
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, June 2025. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
By turnover
| Businesses | Count |
|---|---|
| Zero to less than $50k | 158 businesses |
| $50k to less than $200k | 165 businesses |
| $200k to less than $2m | 308 businesses |
| $2m to less than $5m | 80 businesses |
| $5m to less than $10m | 43 businesses |
| $10m or more | 50 businesses |
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 3, June 2025. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
Entries and exits, 2024-25
| Businesses | Count |
|---|---|
| At the start of the year | 825 businesses |
| ABS business entries | 75 businesses |
| ABS business exits | 96 businesses |
| At the end of the year | 804 businesses |
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, 2024-25. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
By main state or territory
| Businesses | Count |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | 244 businesses |
| Victoria | 247 businesses |
| Queensland | 133 businesses |
| Western Australia | 83 businesses |
| South Australia | 67 businesses |
| Tasmania | 17 businesses |
| Australian Capital Territory | 6 businesses |
| Northern Territory | 7 businesses |
| Other Territories or Currently Unknown | 0 businesses |
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, June 2025. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
Sources
Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2: Businesses by main state by industry class by employment size ranges (8165DC02.xlsx). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits, June 2021 to June 2025, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). Released 16 December 2025, checked 15 October 2026.
Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 3: Businesses by main state by industry class by turnover size ranges (8165DC03.xlsx). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits, June 2021 to June 2025, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). Released 16 December 2025, checked 16 October 2026.
Correspondence, GCCSA 2021 to GCCSA 2026 (CG_GCCSA_2021_GCCSA_2026.csv). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 4, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). Released 22 July 2026, checked 15 October 2026.
Greater Capital City Statistical Areas digital boundary file, 2026 (GCCSA_2026_AUST_SHP_GDA2020.zip). Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data, Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 4, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). Released 22 July 2026, checked 15 October 2026.
Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 2006 (Revision 2.0): the detailed classification. Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data, Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 2006 (Revision 2.0), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). Released 26 June 2013, checked 16 October 2026.
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