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Clean Harbors Inc.: Q3 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 29 October 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 4 raised, 3 lowered, 1 new, 3 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Quarterly income and EPS rose: Net income was $118.8 million, or $2.21 diluted EPS, against $115.2 million and $2.12. Revenue was $1.55 billion versus $1.53 billion; income from operations was $193.0 million versus $192.3 million. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA up six percent: Adjusted EBITDA rose 6% to $320.2 million from $301.8 million a year earlier, the company reported. Source
  • Environmental Services revenue grew 3%: Environmental Services revenue rose 3%, with Adjusted EBITDA of $357.2 million against $332.5 million. Segment margin was 26.8%, up 120 basis points, its 14th consecutive quarter of margin improvement. Source
  • Margin rose on cost actions: Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA margin was 20.7%, up 100 basis points, which management attributed to cost management, operating efficiencies and higher waste volumes. Source
  • Project pipeline described as substantial: Management said it continues to see a substantial project pipeline, strengthened by growing PFAS opportunities. Source
  • Adjusted free cash flow increased: Third-quarter adjusted free cash flow was $230.6 million against $144.5 million. Nine-month adjusted free cash flow was $248.1 million against $110.4 million. Source
  • Plant to upgrade re-refining byproduct: The company plans a solvent de-asphalting plant to convert vacuum tower asphalt extender, a re-refining byproduct, into 600N base oil, which management expects to unlock incremental value. Source

“Looking ahead, we believe that the market challenges we faced in the third quarter are temporary and brought on by macro-economic conditions.”

Eric Gerstenberg, Co-Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefull-year 2025$1.155 billion to $1.175 billion, midpoint $1.165 billionLowered from $1.16 billion to $1.20 billion, midpoint $1.18 billion
GAAP net income Sourcefull-year 2025$379 million to $400 millionLowered from $383 million to $419 million
Adjusted free cash flow Sourcefull-year 2025$455 million to $495 million, midpoint $475 millionRaised from $430 million to $490 million, midpoint $460 million
Net cash from operating activities Sourcefull-year 2025$795 million to $865 millionRaised from $775 million to $865 million
Additions to property, plant and equipment Sourcefull-year 2025$400 million to $430 millionRaised from $370 million to $400 million
Q4 2025 Adjusted EBITDA growth Sourcefourth quarter 2025 versus prior-year quarter6% to 8%New
Depreciation and amortization Sourcefull-year 2025455 to 445 (millions)Raised from 450 to 440 (millions)
Provision for income taxes Sourcefull-year 2025131 to 143 (millions)Lowered from 137 to 154 (millions)
Interest expense, net Sourcefull-year 2025147 to 142 (millions)Kept
Accretion of environmental liabilities Sourcefull-year 202515 to 14 (millions)Kept
Stock-based compensation Sourcefull-year 202528 to 31 (millions)Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance lowered: Management revised full-year 2025 Adjusted EBITDA guidance to reflect third-quarter performance. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Anticipated GAAP net income for 2025 was lowered to $379 million to $400 million. Source
  • Guidance raised: Full-year 2025 Adjusted free cash flow guidance was raised, and an investment in a re-refinery byproduct facility was announced. Source
  • Guidance raised: Anticipated net cash from operating activities for 2025 rose at the low end, to $795 million to $865 million. Source
  • New guidance: Management gave a fourth-quarter 2025 Adjusted EBITDA growth expectation of 6% to 8%. Source
  • New: A solvent de-asphalting processing plant is planned, with total investment of $210 million to $220 million and commercial launch in 2028. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Quarterly income and EPS rose: Net income was $118.8 million, or $2.21 diluted EPS, against $115.2 million and $2.12. Revenue was $1.55 billion versus $1.53 billion; income from operations was $193.0 million versus $192.3 million. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA up six percent: Adjusted EBITDA rose 6% to $320.2 million from $301.8 million a year earlier, the company reported. Source
  • Nine-month net income below prior year: For the nine months, net income was $304.4 million against $318.3 million a year earlier. Source

Segments and end markets

  • Environmental Services revenue grew 3%: Environmental Services revenue rose 3%, with Adjusted EBITDA of $357.2 million against $332.5 million. Segment margin was 26.8%, up 120 basis points, its 14th consecutive quarter of margin improvement. Source
  • Technical and Safety-Kleen services grew: Technical Services revenue grew 12% despite chemical-space slowdowns. Safety-Kleen Environmental Services revenue rose 8% through price and steady volume growth. Source
  • Incinerators and landfills ran busy: Incineration utilization, excluding the new Kimball incinerator, was 92%, and landfill volumes rose 40% on project strength. Source
  • SKSS results in line with expectations: SKSS Adjusted EBITDA was $40.9 million against $41.2 million. The segment gathered 64 million gallons of waste oil, which kept its plants at full production. Source
  • Field Services revenue declined: Field Services revenue fell from the prior year because there were no medium- to large-scale emergency response projects in the quarter. Source

“The softness in these end markets, combined with the lack of large emergency response projects and increased healthcare costs, resulted in lower-than-anticipated results for the Environmental Services segment.”

Eric Gerstenberg, Co-Chief Executive Officer

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Margin rose on cost actions: Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA margin was 20.7%, up 100 basis points, which management attributed to cost management, operating efficiencies and higher waste volumes. Source
  • SG&A expense rose in quarter: Selling, general and administrative expenses were $189.6 million against $177.8 million a year earlier. Nine-month SG&A was $558.6 million against $557.6 million. Source
  • Lubricant share lifted SKSS margin: Direct lubricant gallons reached 9% of SKSS total volume, which management said helped drive segment margin improvement. Source
  • Labor efficiency positioned for rebound: Management said labor efficiencies and other margin initiatives put it in a position to benefit when chemical and refining verticals rebound. Source

Demand and project pipeline

  • Project pipeline described as substantial: Management said it continues to see a substantial project pipeline, strengthened by growing PFAS opportunities. Source
  • Reshoring and tax bill tailwinds: Based on customer conversations, management anticipates that reshoring incentives and the recent U.S. tax bill will lift American manufacturing and support remediation and waste projects. Source
  • Economic turbulence seen as short-term: Management described short-term turbulence in the North American economy, with reshoring continuing. Source

“We dramatically lowered waste oil collection costs and improved our mix of products sold in the face of weaker base oil pricing,”

Mike Battles, Co-Chief Executive Officer

Capital, cash and returns

  • Adjusted free cash flow increased: Third-quarter adjusted free cash flow was $230.6 million against $144.5 million. Nine-month adjusted free cash flow was $248.1 million against $110.4 million. Source
  • Share repurchases increased: Nine-month repurchases of common stock totaled $117.0 million, against $30.2 million in the prior-year period. Source
  • Cash balance rose over nine months: Cash and cash equivalents were $759.2 million at September 30, 2025, against $687.2 million at December 31, 2024. Nine-month additions to property, plant and equipment were $303.2 million against $369.8 million. Source

Strategy and investment

  • Plant to upgrade re-refining byproduct: The company plans a solvent de-asphalting plant to convert vacuum tower asphalt extender, a re-refining byproduct, into 600N base oil, which management expects to unlock incremental value. Source
  • PFAS demand offset slowdowns: Management said growth in other verticals, remediation and waste projects, and demand for its Total PFAS Solution offset the slowdowns. Source
  • Plant expected EBITDA and payback: Management expects the facility to generate annual EBITDA of $30 million to $40 million, with a six- to seven-year payback once completed, which it said rivals its incineration projects. Source

Safety and workforce

  • Year-to-date TRIR at 0.49: Year-to-date Total Recordable Incident Rate was 0.49 at quarter end, which management said puts the company on track for a record year. Source
  • Team protected each other: Management credited the team with protecting themselves and each other within safety. Source
  • Second-quarter TRIR of 0.40: The prior-quarter release reported a second-quarter TRIR of 0.40 and a first-half rate of 0.45.

Coming up, as management said on 29 October 2025

  • Incinerators expected to run strong: Management expects incinerators to keep running strongly through year-end, with projects continuing to feed the disposal and recycling network. Source
  • Chemical and refining spending to loosen: Management expects spending constraints in chemicals and refining to loosen in the coming quarters as economic conditions improve. Source
  • SKSS profitability target in 2025: Management expects to achieve the SKSS profitability target for 2025. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Management cited customer slowdowns in key verticals, such as chemicals, tied to general economic conditions and tariff-driven uncertainty. Source
  • Demand: Chemical and refining customers limited turnaround spending within Industrial Services during the quarter. Source
  • External: Management is shifting toward higher charge-for-oil pricing for collection services to address base oil market conditions. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • On track: Management said it remains on track to deliver record-level annual Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted free cash flow in 2025. Source
  • Not stated: The prior release expected third-quarter Adjusted EBITDA growth of 9-12%; this release reports growth of 6%.
  • Not stated: The prior release said the company expected to achieve annual SKSS targets in 2025 while reducing volatility.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.