New Zealand’s Commerce Commission files court proceedings against waste oil company

New Zealand’s Commerce Commission has filed proceedings against Enviro Waste Services Limited, based in Auckland, and one individual for attempted anti-competitive conduct in relation to the collection of waste oil in the upper South Island.

The approximate volume of waste oil collected per year in the upper South Island is more than 700,000 litres.

The commission alleges that Ben’s Oil, a division of Enviro Waste based in Nelson, attempted to form an agreement with a competitor in September 2012 to reduce competition for existing customers in the waste oil collection market, in breach of New Zealand’s Commerce Act.

The individual included in court proceedings is an Enviro Waste employee.

The commission, Enviro Waste and the individual have agreed on a settlement to resolve the proceeding. A penalty hearing in the Auckland High Court will be scheduled shortly.

Enviro Waste, with more than 600 employees, provides a comprehensive range of waste management services in New Zealand. Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing’s Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings has owned Enviro Waste since 2013.