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Clean Harbors Announces Second-Quarter 2025 Financial Results

  • Reports Revenue of $1.55 Billion with Growth in Environmental Services
  • Delivers Strong Incineration Performance Based on Robust Demand
  • Generates Q2 Net Income of $126.9 Million, or EPS of $2.36
  • Achieves Record Q2 Adjusted EBITDA of $336.2 Million; Increases Adjusted EBITDA Margin 60 bps to 21.7%
  • Confirms Full-Year 2025 Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Free Cash Flow Guidance

Clean Harbors, Inc. (“Clean Harbors” or the “Company”) (NYSE: CLH), the leading provider of environmental and industrial services throughout North America, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025.

“Our second-quarter results reflect the consistent profitable growth of our Environmental Services (ES) segment, where we experienced strong demand for our disposal assets, and a stabilization of our Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions (SKSS) segment, where our collection strategies yielded favorable results,” said Mike Battles, Co-Chief Executive Officer. “We improved our consolidated Adjusted EBITDA margin by 60 basis points from a year ago through lowering our overall cost structure with a sharp focus on our SG&A spend. In addition, we posted the best quarterly safety results in our history by generating a Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) of just 0.40. We stand at 0.45 for the first half of the year – well on track to achieve our annual target as our programs and emphasis on working safely are helping to keep our employees protected.”

Second-Quarter 2025 Results

Revenues were $1.55 billion, flat with the same period of 2024. Income from operations was $210.3 million, compared with $215.5 million in the second quarter of 2024.

Net income was $126.9 million, or $2.36 per diluted share, compared with $133.3 million, or $2.46 per diluted share, for the same period in 2024.

Adjusted EBITDA (see description and reconciliation below) increased to $336.2 million, compared with $327.8 million in the same period of 2024.

Q2 2025 Segment Review

“Despite substantial growth in the year ago quarter, our ES segment still achieved 3% growth in revenue and 5% growth in Adjusted EBITDA. This revenue growth, combined with pricing and SG&A cost controls, enabled our ES segment to achieve its 13th consecutive quarter of year-over-year improvement in segment Adjusted EBITDA margin,” said Eric Gerstenberg, Co-Chief Executive Officer. “Top-line growth in the segment was led by Safety-Kleen Environmental Services, which rose 9% through pricing and growth in its core offerings. Technical Services revenue grew 4% on strength in disposal volumes. Incineration utilization, excluding the new Kimball incinerator, was outstanding at 89% as our facilities maximized throughput. Average incineration price rose 7% on a mix-adjusted basis. Field Services and Industrial Services performed well in the quarter, improving margins year-over-year.”

“Results in our SKSS segment were ahead of our expectations, supported by our waste oil collection strategies and success in aggressively managing our re-refining spread,” said Battles. “We gathered 64 million gallons of waste oil in the quarter, which enabled us to hit our production goals. We believe that our shift to higher charge-for-oil (CFO) pricing, which has continued since our strategic program rollout last November, positions us well for the back half of the year. We currently expect to achieve our annual targets for this business in 2025, while reducing the volatility we’ve seen in recent years.”

Business Outlook and Financial Guidance

“We enter the back half of 2025 with considerable momentum across our core markets, backed by a promising North American economic outlook as reshoring continues,” Gerstenberg said. “While tariff uncertainty has impacted some customers in the short-term, we expect the tangible benefits of the recent tax bill and incentives to invest in American manufacturing to drive customer activity over the longer-term. We continue to see healthy overall demand from customers within our ES segment, resulting in a substantial project pipeline. Multiple customers are expected to proceed with remediation projects in the coming quarters, which will further support our disposal and recycling network. We are excited about the continued progress at our new Kimball incinerator, which achieved its Q2 volume target. We look forward to further ramping up the facility with a broader mix of waste streams in the second half of this year. For SKSS, our focus will remain on actively managing our collection rates and cost structure, while advancing value-added initiatives like our Castrol partnership and Group III production.”

Battles concluded, “We anticipate a strong second half of the year for the Company based on numerous tailwinds that should drive both top- and bottom-line improvement from a year ago. With an encouraging market outlook, we are also continuing to execute on our pricing strategies, cost mitigation and operational efficiencies to drive further margin improvement.”

In the third quarter of 2025, Clean Harbors expects Adjusted EBITDA to grow 9-12% from the comparable quarter of the prior year. For full-year 2025, Clean Harbors is reiterating the midpoints of its prior guidance and expects:

  • Adjusted EBITDA in the range of $1.16 billion to $1.20 billion, or a midpoint of $1.18 billion, which represents 6% growth year over year. This Adjusted EBITDA range is based on anticipated GAAP net income in the range of $383 million to $419 million.
  • Adjusted free cash flow in the range of $430 million to $490 million, or a midpoint of $460 million, which represents a nearly 30% increase from prior year. This range is based on anticipated net cash from operating activities in the range of $775 million to $865 million.

Non-GAAP Results

Clean Harbors reports Adjusted EBITDA, which is a non-GAAP financial measure and should not be considered an alternative to net income or other measurements under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) but viewed only as a supplement to those measurements. Adjusted EBITDA is not calculated identically by all companies, and therefore the Company’s measurement of Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. Clean Harbors believes that Adjusted EBITDA provides additional useful information to investors because the Company’s management routinely evaluates the performance of its businesses based upon levels of Adjusted EBITDA. The Company defines Adjusted EBITDA as described in the following reconciliation showing the differences between reported GAAP net income and Adjusted EBITDA (in thousands, except percentages):

 

Three Months Ended

 

Six Months Ended

 

June 30, 2025

 

June 30, 2024

 

June 30, 2025

 

June 30, 2024

Net income

$

126,905

 

 

$

133,280

 

 

$

185,585

 

 

$

203,112

 

Accretion of environmental liabilities

 

3,591

 

 

 

3,304

 

 

 

7,211

 

 

 

6,521

 

Stock-based compensation

 

6,063

 

 

 

8,515

 

 

 

13,698

 

 

 

14,853

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

116,285

 

 

 

100,504

 

 

 

228,265

 

 

 

195,569

 

Other expense, net

 

603

 

 

 

167

 

 

 

1,535

 

 

 

1,308

 

Interest expense, net of interest income

 

37,106

 

 

 

36,449

 

 

 

73,183

 

 

 

64,988

 

Provision for income taxes

 

45,684

 

 

 

45,597

 

 

 

61,614

 

 

 

71,560

 

Adjusted EBITDA

$

336,237

 

 

$

327,816

 

 

$

571,091

 

 

$

557,911

 

Adjusted EBITDA Margin

 

21.7

%

 

 

21.1

%

 

 

19.2

%

 

 

19.0

%

Adjusted Free Cash Flow Reconciliation

Clean Harbors reports adjusted free cash flow, a non-GAAP measure, which it considers to be a measurement of liquidity that provides useful information to investors about its ability to generate cash. The Company defines adjusted free cash flow as net cash from operating activities less additions to property, plant and equipment plus proceeds from sale and disposal of fixed assets. When necessary, the Company adjusts for the cash impact of items derived from non-operating activities. Adjusted free cash flow should not be considered an alternative to net cash from operating activities or other measurements under GAAP. Adjusted free cash flow is not calculated identically by all companies, and therefore the Company’s measurement of adjusted free cash flow may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

An itemized reconciliation between reported GAAP net cash from operating activities and adjusted free cash flow is as follows (in thousands):

 

Three Months Ended

 

Six Months Ended

 

June 30, 2025

 

June 30, 2024

 

June 30, 2025

 

June 30, 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net cash from operating activities

$

208,040

 

 

$

216,045

 

 

$

209,645

 

 

$

234,594

 

Additions to property, plant and equipment

 

(90,029

)

 

 

(135,110

)

 

 

(208,724

)

 

 

(273,023

)

Cash investment in Phoenix Hub

 

12,436

 

 

 

 

 

 

12,436

 

 

 

 

Proceeds from sale and disposal of fixed assets

 

2,720

 

 

 

3,287

 

 

 

4,063

 

 

 

4,295

 

Adjusted free cash flow

$

133,167

 

 

$

84,222

 

 

$

17,420

 

 

$

(34,134

)

Adjusted EBITDA Guidance Reconciliation

An itemized reconciliation between projected GAAP net income and projected Adjusted EBITDA is as follows (in millions):

 

For the Year Ending

December 31, 2025

Projected GAAP net income

$383

to

$419

Adjustments:

 

 

 

Accretion of environmental liabilities

15

to

14

Stock-based compensation

28

to

31

Depreciation and amortization

450

to

440

Interest expense, net

147

to

142

Provision for income taxes

137

to

154

Projected Adjusted EBITDA

$1,160

to

$1,200

Adjusted Free Cash Flow Guidance Reconciliation

An itemized reconciliation between projected GAAP net cash from operating activities and projected adjusted free cash flow is as follows (in millions). The Company excludes significant one-time growth investments, which the Company expects to realize future long-term benefits from, as they are not indicative of free cash flow generation for the current period.

 

For the Year Ending

December 31, 2025

Projected net cash from operating activities

$775

 

to

$865

 

Additions to property, plant and equipment

(370

)

to

(400

)

Cash investment in Phoenix Hub

15

 

to

15

 

Proceeds from sale and disposal of fixed assets

10

 

to

10

 

Projected adjusted free cash flow

$430

 

to

$490

 

Conference Call Information

Clean Harbors will conduct a conference call for investors today at 9:00 a.m. (ET) to discuss the information contained in this press release. During the call, management will discuss Clean Harbors’ financial results, business outlook and growth strategy. Investors who wish to listen to the webcast and view the accompanying slides should visit the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at www.cleanharbors.com. The live call also can be accessed by dialing 877.709.8155 or 201.689.8881 prior to the start time. If you are unable to listen to the live conference call, the webcast will be archived on the Company’s website.

About Clean Harbors

Clean Harbors (NYSE: CLH) is North America’s leading provider of environmental and industrial services. The Company serves a diverse customer base, including a majority of Fortune 500 companies. Its customer base spans a number of industries, including chemical, manufacturing and refining, as well as numerous government agencies. These customers rely on Clean Harbors to deliver a broad range of services such as end-to-end hazardous waste management, emergency spill response, industrial cleaning and maintenance, and recycling services. Through its Safety-Kleen subsidiary, Clean Harbors also is a leading provider of parts washers and environmental services to commercial, industrial and automotive customers, as well as North America’s largest re-refiner and recycler of used oil. Founded in 1980 and based in Massachusetts, Clean Harbors operates in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and India. For more information, visit www.cleanharbors.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

Any statements contained herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “plans to,” “seeks,” “will,” “should,” “estimates,” “projects,” “may,” “likely,” “potential,” “outlook” or similar expressions. Such statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about the Company’s future financial and operating results, plans, strategy, objectives and goals, cost management initiatives, pricing and productivity initiatives, contingent liabilities, liquidity, business, economic and market conditions, trends, customer demand, impacts of tariffs and new legislation, acquisitions, growth opportunities, expectations, challenges and other statements that are not historical facts. Such statements are based upon the beliefs and expectations of Clean Harbors’ management as of the date of this press release only and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including, without limitation: operational and safety risks; risks relating to the failure of new or existing technologies; cybersecurity risks; the occurrence of natural disasters or other catastrophic events, as well as their residual macroeconomic effects; risks associated with retaining and hiring key personnel; environmental liability and product liability risks relating to hazardous waste management and other components of the Company’s business; negative economic, industry or other developments, including market volatility or economic downturns; risks associated with management’s assumptions relating to expansion of the Company’s landfills; reductions in the demand for emergency response services at industrial facilities or on roadways, railways or waterways, and other remedial projects and regulatory developments; reductions in the demand for oil products and automotive services and volatility in oil prices in the markets the Company serves; changes in statutory and regulatory requirements and risks relating to extensive environmental laws and regulations; risks associated with existing and potential litigation; risks associated with the Company’s identification and execution of strategic acquisitions and divestitures and their related liabilities; risks relating to the availability and sufficiency of the Company’s insurance coverage, self-insurance, surety bonds, letters of credit and other forms of financial assurance; the impact of new tax legislation or changes in tax regulations and interpretations; the imposition of trade sanctions or tariffs; fluctuations in interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates; risks relating to the Company’s indebtedness and covenants in its debt agreements; risks associated with certain anti-takeover provisions under the Massachusetts Business Corporation Act and the Company’s By-Laws, and those items identified as “Risk Factors” in Clean Harbors’ most recently filed reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Therefore, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Clean Harbors undertakes no obligation to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements other than through its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which may be viewed in the “Investors” section of Clean Harbors’ website at www.cleanharbors.com.

 

CLEAN HARBORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

Six Months Ended

 

June 30,

 

June 30,

 

 

2025

 

 

 

2024

 

 

 

2025

 

 

 

2024

 

Revenues

$

1,549,854

 

 

$

1,552,719

 

 

$

2,981,804

 

 

$

2,929,414

 

Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)

 

1,033,497

 

 

 

1,035,542

 

 

 

2,055,381

 

 

 

2,006,612

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses

 

186,183

 

 

 

197,876

 

 

 

369,030

 

 

 

379,744

 

Accretion of environmental liabilities

 

3,591

 

 

 

3,304

 

 

 

7,211

 

 

 

6,521

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

116,285

 

 

 

100,504

 

 

 

228,265

 

 

 

195,569

 

Income from operations

 

210,298

 

 

 

215,493

 

 

 

321,917

 

 

 

340,968

 

Other expense, net

 

(603

)

 

 

(167

)

 

 

(1,535

)

 

 

(1,308

)

Interest expense, net

 

(37,106

)

 

 

(36,449

)

 

 

(73,183

)

 

 

(64,988

)

Income before provision for income taxes

 

172,589

 

 

 

178,877

 

 

 

247,199

 

 

 

274,672

 

Provision for income taxes

 

45,684

 

 

 

45,597

 

 

 

61,614

 

 

 

71,560

 

Net income

$

126,905

 

 

$

133,280

 

 

$

185,585

 

 

$

203,112

 

Earnings per share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

$

2.37

 

 

$

2.47

 

 

$

3.46

 

 

$

3.77

 

Diluted

$

2.36

 

 

$

2.46

 

 

$

3.44

 

 

$

3.75

 

Shares used to compute earnings per share - Basic

 

53,593

 

 

 

53,932

 

 

 

53,675

 

 

 

53,931

 

Shares used to compute earnings per share - Diluted

 

53,799

 

 

 

54,248

 

 

 

53,895

 

 

 

54,231

 

 

CLEAN HARBORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands)

 

 

June 30, 2025

 

December 31, 2024

Current assets:

(unaudited)

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

$

600,186

 

 

$

687,192

 

Short-term marketable securities

 

98,888

 

 

102,634

Accounts receivable, net

 

1,117,714

 

 

 

1,015,357

 

Unbilled accounts receivable

 

177,910

 

 

 

162,215

 

Inventories and supplies

 

383,351

 

 

 

384,657

 

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

97,332

 

 

 

81,741

 

Total current assets

 

2,475,381

 

 

 

2,433,796

 

Property, plant and equipment, net

 

2,507,101

 

 

 

2,447,941

 

Other assets:

 

 

 

Operating lease right-of-use assets

 

247,033

 

 

 

250,853

 

Goodwill

 

1,479,805

 

 

 

1,477,199

 

Permits and other intangibles, net

 

677,180

 

 

 

701,987

 

Other long-term assets

 

53,429

 

 

 

65,502

 

Total other assets

 

2,457,447

 

 

 

2,495,541

 

Total assets

$

7,439,929

 

 

$

7,377,278

 

 

 

 

 

Current liabilities:

 

 

 

Current portion of long-term debt

$

15,102

 

 

$

15,102

 

Accounts payable

 

432,771

 

 

 

487,286

 

Deferred revenue

 

87,792

 

 

 

88,545

 

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

 

376,585

 

 

 

419,445

 

Current portion of closure, post-closure and remedial liabilities

 

26,524

 

 

 

20,625

 

Current portion of operating lease liabilities

 

72,976

 

 

 

71,663

 

Total current liabilities

 

1,011,750

 

 

 

1,102,666

 

Other liabilities:

 

 

 

Closure and post-closure liabilities, less current portion

 

122,795

 

 

 

119,484

 

Remedial liabilities, less current portion

 

86,880

 

 

 

101,424

 

Long-term debt, less current portion

 

2,766,530

 

 

 

2,771,117

 

Operating lease liabilities, less current portion

 

178,343

 

 

 

182,883

 

Deferred tax liabilities

 

359,661

 

 

 

363,623

 

Other long-term liabilities

 

199,903

 

 

 

162,552

 

Total other liabilities

 

3,714,112

 

 

 

3,701,083

 

Total stockholders’ equity, net

 

2,714,067

 

 

 

2,573,529

 

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

$

7,439,929

 

 

$

7,377,278

 

 

CLEAN HARBORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(in thousands)

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

June 30, 2025

 

June 30, 2024

Cash flows from operating activities:

 

 

 

Net income

$

185,585

 

 

$

203,112

 

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash from operating activities:

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

228,265

 

 

 

195,569

 

Allowance for doubtful accounts

 

3,249

 

 

 

4,349

 

Amortization of deferred financing costs and debt discount

 

3,352

 

 

 

2,937

 

Accretion of environmental liabilities

 

7,211

 

 

 

6,521

 

Changes in environmental liability estimates

 

(8,954

)

 

 

3,963

 

Deferred income taxes

 

 

 

 

(88

)

Other expense, net

 

1,535

 

 

 

1,308

 

Stock-based compensation

 

13,698

 

 

 

14,853

 

Environmental expenditures

 

(7,051

)

 

 

(9,934

)

Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions:

 

 

 

Accounts receivable and unbilled accounts receivable

 

(116,399

)

 

 

(116,307

)

Inventories and supplies

 

2,952

 

 

 

(28,673

)

Other current and long-term assets

 

(13,395

)

 

 

(28,870

)

Accounts payable

 

(36,035

)

 

 

(12,418

)

Other current and long-term liabilities

 

(54,368

)

 

 

(1,728

)

Net cash from operating activities

 

209,645

 

 

 

234,594

 

Cash flows used in investing activities:

 

 

 

Additions to property, plant and equipment

 

(208,724

)

 

 

(273,023

)

Proceeds from sale and disposal of fixed assets

 

4,063

 

 

 

4,295

 

Acquisitions, net of cash acquired

 

 

 

 

(477,201

)

Proceeds from sale of business

 

 

 

 

750

 

Additions to intangible assets including costs to obtain or renew permits

 

(777

)

 

 

(1,868

)

Purchases of available-for-sale securities

 

(45,622

)

 

 

(55,318

)

Proceeds from sale of available-for-sale securities

 

50,318

 

 

 

71,695

 

Net cash used in investing activities

 

(200,742

)

 

 

(730,670

)

Cash flows (used in) from financing activities:

 

 

 

Change in uncashed checks

 

(2,767

)

 

 

(1,868

)

Tax payments related to withholdings on vested restricted stock

 

(10,456

)

 

 

(4,599

)

Repurchases of common stock

 

(67,001

)

 

 

(10,215

)

Proceeds from employee stock purchase plan

 

3,360

 

 

 

 

Deferred financing costs paid

 

 

 

 

(8,148

)

Payments on finance leases

 

(16,754

)

 

 

(11,491

)

Principal payments on debt

 

(7,551

)

 

 

(7,551

)

Proceeds from issuance of debt, net of discount

 

 

 

 

499,375

 

Net cash (used in) from financing activities

 

(101,169

)

 

 

455,503

 

Effect of exchange rate change on cash

 

5,260

 

 

 

(2,133

)

Decrease in cash and cash equivalents

 

(87,006

)

 

 

(42,706

)

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period

 

687,192

 

 

 

444,698

 

Cash and cash equivalents, end of period

$

600,186

 

 

$

401,992

 

Supplemental information:

 

 

 

Cash payments for interest and income taxes:

 

 

 

Interest paid

$

76,570

 

 

$

74,079

 

Income taxes paid, net of refunds

 

64,534

 

 

70,307

Non-cash investing activities:

 

 

 

Property, plant and equipment accrued

 

25,156

 

 

 

28,315

 

ROU assets obtained in exchange for operating lease liabilities

 

34,867

 

 

 

49,420

 

ROU assets obtained in exchange for finance lease liabilities

 

57,802

 

 

 

45,174

 

 

Supplemental Segment Data (in thousands)

 

Three Months Ended

Revenue

June 30, 2025

 

June 30, 2024

 

Third-Party Revenues

 

Intersegment Revenues (Expenses), net

 

Direct Revenues

 

Third-Party Revenues

 

Intersegment Revenues (Expenses), net

 

Direct Revenues

Environmental Services

$

1,330,059

 

 

$

21,976

 

 

$

1,352,035

 

 

$

1,297,298

 

 

$

12,085

 

 

$

1,309,383

 

Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions

 

219,706

 

 

 

(21,976

)

 

 

197,730

 

 

 

255,322

 

 

 

(12,085

)

 

 

243,237

 

Corporate

 

89

 

 

 

 

 

89

 

 

99

 

 

 

 

 

99

Total

$

1,549,854

 

 

$

 

 

$

1,549,854

 

 

$

1,552,719

 

 

$

 

 

$

1,552,719

 

 

Six Months Ended

Revenue

June 30, 2025

 

June 30, 2024

 

Third-Party Revenues

 

Intersegment Revenues (Expenses), net

 

Direct Revenues

 

Third-Party Revenues

 

Intersegment Revenues (Expenses), net

 

Direct Revenues

Environmental Services

$

2,537,097

 

 

$

24,051

 

 

$

2,561,148

 

 

$

2,458,577

 

 

$

23,316

 

 

$

2,481,893

 

Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions

 

444,521

 

 

 

(24,051

)

 

 

420,470

 

 

 

470,636

 

 

 

(23,316

)

 

 

447,320

 

Corporate

 

186

 

 

 

 

 

186

 

 

201

 

 

 

 

 

201

Total

$

2,981,804

 

 

$

 

 

$

2,981,804

 

 

$

2,929,414

 

 

$

 

 

$

2,929,414

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

Six Months Ended

Adjusted EBITDA

June 30, 2025

 

June 30, 2024

 

June 30, 2025

 

June 30, 2024

Environmental Services

$

376,194

 

 

$

359,915

 

 

$

650,785

 

 

$

624,390

 

Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions

 

38,313

 

 

 

51,476

 

 

 

66,565

 

 

 

81,176

 

Corporate

 

(78,270

)

 

 

(83,575

)

 

 

(146,259

)

 

 

(147,655

)

Total

$

336,237

 

 

$

327,816

 

 

$

571,091

 

 

$

557,911

 

 

Contacts

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