Clean Earth began its days as Tidybins back in the eighties. Robert Burnside, young, single and tired of baling hay for a living, took off to the United States for some R&R. While ranching in California he was asked to phone for the rubbish bin to be emptied and he watched, fascinated by the ease and speed of how the steel bin was emptied. Having a wide practical experience of equipment helped him identify the possibility that the idea could work in New Zealand.

It was that innovative thinking which brought the very first front load truck into Hawke's Bay - at the time it was only one of five in the country.

When he met Deborah in 1990 the business had grown to a fleet of vehicles and was the second largest supplier of waste to Landfill in the Bay.

The pair found they were compatible business partners as well as life partners and to compliment the existing business Deborah introduced a wheeliebin service. She also introduced a new baby and although it was tough running a business and starting a family the innovative thinking didn't stop. Deborah's Tidykart service utilised the first custom rear lift wheelie bin truck in the area at a time when there were 18 competitors in the domestic refuse market.

Eventually the expansion took it's toll, "Our second son was born in 1993 at a time the business was at peak operation, I was tired of tired of talking trash, wanting to try something new and we received an offer we couldn't say no to." Robert sold out his commercial front load operation side of the business.
Deborah continued operating the wheelie bin service, "It was manageable even with two preschool children - Although people used to look twice when they saw me driving the truck with two carseats beside me in the cab."

Early 1996 Robert was restless in his new profession as a portable sawmiller and expressed a desire to get back into the Waste Industry. Having been previously involved in the industry was a huge advantage when Robert was considered entering it again. "I went to the Waste Expo in Nevada in '96 and from the huge number of exhibitors was able to identify the best compaction system available that was most suited to smaller areas like Hawke's Bay." Robert achieved another first importing the Wittke Compaction Unit from Canada and the vehicle received National attention for it's pioneering ability to both empty and transport a front load bin.

"When we started again, we wanted to do everything the very best way possible…which included our equipment, our management and operating systems, our image. Clean Earth was the result."

The distinctive purple and green logo was another fusion of innovation and imagination from the couple. "It met all of our needs and represents our operating philosophy, keeping it clean between earth and sky - as well as all those wonderful connections of wealth, abundance, environment, royalty and higher purpose that Green and Purple relate to. The moon was an essential inclusion as man's first venture upon it is also my birth date laughs Deborah."

A third son joined the family in 1998 while the business was expanding at a rapid pace. "It was a strange transition to start employing people, for so long it had just been the two of us. We try to retain that small business feel without losing any of our professionalism. We have always set high standards for ourselves and the staff are expected to emulate that."

Keeping one step ahead of the growth of the company is a constant obligation, "People rely on us, we have to have the right equipment ready and available all the time." This necessitated the sourcing of a second front load vehicle and a compactor unit was found in Australia and imported. Intended originally as back up for Hawke's Bay the finished unit was too efficient to sit in the yard and the couple made the decision to expand into Taupo.

"August holidays were synonymous with dancing competitions at the town hall for me, Taupo's familiarity almost made us overlook it as a place to expand into." Robert laughs, "There's a house in Gillies Ave, our old family bach, with a huge hole in the backyard dug one summer - for the rubbish. You could say my fascination with rubbish disposal began then." They both agree that it felt right to start in Taupo although they now have to consider a third front loader compactor vehicle…the story continues.

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