Life without landfill: Tidy Up's vision for a cleaner Perth

Whether you consider separating your rubbish to be a chore or simply a necessary step towards more sustainable living, there’s no arguing that the topic of recycling gets us fired up.

Recycling efforts first started in Australia during the 1920s, when demand for paper outstripped manufacturing capabilities. The practice became more widespread to encompass metal and rubber which became scarce during the World War II period of the 1940s.

In true cyclical fashion, the focus on resource recovery petered out for a few decades until a resurgence in the 1970s, when landfill in Australia was becoming a more widely reported and publicly noticed issue.

This was also the era where many homegrown recycling movements became prevalent, filling the gaps in service that local councils and the Government were offering.

It was a time of opportunity for young guns like Des Berry, who established a business carting away green waste in garden bags under the name ‘Berry’s Jumbo Bags’ in 1975, from his family home in Mount Pleasant, Western Australia.

From these foundations grew a successful recycling business now known as Tidy Up, which services the Perth metro region from their warehouse, store and yard base in Cockburn Central.

Big things growing

It was the 1990s that saw business increase with Tidy Up diversifying to meet client demand, explained Business Development Manager, Anthony (Tony) Berry—the second generation in Berry recyclers.

“In the late ‘90s, we could see that recycling was going to be massive… as we came to pick up the garden bags for people each day, they would ask us to load other material,” Tony recalled.

“Recycling just took off from there. Our services were so in demand by 2012 that we sold the original garden bag business to focus purely on recycling.”

Now a proudly B Corp Certified company, Tidy Up is committed to moving, disposing and recycling rubbish in a socially and environmentally friendly manner, with a vision of ‘life without landfill’ permeating their actions.

Say hello to the Tidy Up team

“That's what our team lives by every day, and we are always moving towards it,” Tony said.

“I'm not sure that we'll ever fully achieve a life without landfill, but that is our overarching goal, whether it’s getting furniture and homewares back into the community or collecting e-waste to be delivered to our sorting partners.

“Our teams are strategically loading their trucks in such a way that they can either get the material back here or get it directly to one of our suppliers, communicating with our office so that everything is coordinated for the best possible results.”

Transport evolution

A carefully constructed fleet of medium-duty truck models specified with custom tipper bodies supports the collection side of Tidy Up’s operation.

Their aptly named ‘Tidy Team’ handles the full gamut of waste from e-waste, green waste, metal, cardboard and paper through to construction materials, furniture and unwanted items from customer's houses or businesses.

Trucks are either loaded by hand or by a team member operating Tidy Up’s telescopic handler forklift, affectionately referred to as ‘the Green Goblin’.

Choice of truck model comes down to vehicle versatility and the ability to handle this huge range of waste types and sizes.

Tidy Up currently run an Isuzu NPR 75-190 with Automated Manual Transmission (AMT), an NQR 87-190 AMT, and an FSR 140-260 with 6-speed Allison automatic transmission.

The newest truck to join the ranks is an additional NQR 87-190 AMT with a customised tipper tray and storage unit built onto the cab chassis, which arrived in April this year.

Tony noted that the business made the strategic move to a more efficient fleet back in 2007, approaching Sales Manager Peter Dewar at Major Motors Isuzu in Perth for a better solution than using a passenger vehicle and trailer.

“I went into the Major Motors dealership with a 4WD that was towing a trailer and said to Peter, ‘Hey, can you help me solve this problem?’ “Tony recalled.

“He had the vision for the kind of truck I needed and together we were able to make it happen. I have never looked back.”

Tidy Up’s newest NQR 87-190 sits at a GVM of 8,700 kg and GCM of 12,200 kg, underpinned by a robust four-cylinder Isuzu 4HK1-TCC engine which offers plenty of power at 140 kW (190 PS) @ 2,600 rpm and torque of 513 Nm @ 1,600 – 2.600 rpm, and lending the necessary grunt for transporting heavy loads.

A chassis length of just over six metres (in Tidy-Up’s long-wheelbase NQR model) paired with an excellent turning circle for its size at 16.4-metres (kerb-to-kerb), ensures the team can access both suburban and city metro locations easily.

The NQR 87-190 is the newest edition to Tidy Up's Isuzu fleet

Fleet sustainability

Tidy Up have implemented plans for a conscientious replacement schedule on their trucks, turning them over every four to five years or around the 200,000 km mark.

This, and a pre-planned maintenance schedule which keeps trucks operating in peak condition and at maximum efficiency, play into the business’ steadfast approach to sustainable operations.

“We have very important clients that we cannot let down so we can't have any downtime with our trucks,” Tony said.

“I don't want our vehicles being held up on the road or my drivers feeling frustrated if the trucks aren't in peak condition.

“Operational efficiency keeps our business model strong.”

Business Development Manager of Tidy Up, Tony Berry, behind the wheel

Assurance that the new trucks will perform reliably comes in the form of an Isuzu Essentials service agreement which is factored in as an upfront cost with purchase of new vehicles from the Major Motors dealership.

The Essentials service package covers the first six services (up to 72 months), including the use of genuine OEM filters and lubricants, washer fluids, wheel bearing repacking and a range of other inclusions, plus the guarantee that work is conducted by factory-trained technicians familiar with the product.

This makes Tidy Up’s fleet maintenance schedule—and their various compliance obligations such as Chain of Responsibility laws—a more streamlined process.

“We also require our Isuzu trucks to have a reliable service history; it is great for their resale value and most of all, our peace of mind,” noted Tony.

“We look after the trucks because they're the backbone of the entire business.”

Vision for the future

Accountability across all facets of the business is important for Tidy Up, who go the extra mile to show clients they’re serious about their promises, such as releasing data on the amount of landfill waste processed on their own website.

Tony says this level of scrutiny helps to keep staff motivated and the business on its toes providing the best possible service —which includes utilising their Isuzu truck fleet to its full potential.

“Isuzu Trucks are a massive part of our development and our public image, offering us reliability and comfort, and boosting morale for our team.

“We have expansion plans in place to grow the rubbish removal side of the business, but we're also introducing a new service which we are very excited about.

“Our Isuzu trucks are going to help us make this all come together,” Tony concluded.