Isuzu trucks builds Metro Waste

South Australia takes waste and recycling management seriously, and one central player in that market is Adelaide’s Metro Waste.

Considered one of the most recognisable waste and recycling businesses around in Adelaide, Metro Waste with its fleet of branded Isuzu Trucks services all of Adelaide and the greater Adelaide region. They pick up waste and recycling, and bring it back to Thebarton, where Metro Waste’s waste transfer station is based, for careful sorting.

Business co-owner Anthony Callipari and two of his best mates, Carmelo Rositano and Justin Castelluzzo, run Metro Waste, which has serviced Adelaide for more than 30 years. Growing and evolving with the waste and recycling landscape, Metro Waste added a mini bin service to better cater to the needs of their customers.

It was a simple idea, but Anthony describes it as the spark that kick-started the beginning of their real success.

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“We all went to school together and we bought the business… We then introduced the mini bin service to it and we’ve kept growing ever since,” Anthony said.

But how do they measure their growth?

They started their operation with only one Isuzu truck, and now they have nine. The latest additions to Metro Waste’s fleet are the FVR 165-300 and the FSR 140-260, both fitted with skip bin loaders and livery by North East Isuzu.

Metro Waste’s fleet of Isuzu trucks directly support the mini bin segment of their business, hauling bins that range from two to 40 cubic metres in size.

“Our trucks pick up bins around the neighbourhood, as well as waste from the bigger commercial jobs in and around the city,” Anthony said.

“The trucks operate in decent conditions, but you need to remember that they are still rubbish trucks.

“They work in dusty and dirty environments, and sometimes go off road… They’re put through their paces, each truck will cover a minimum of 600 kilometres each week, clocking anywhere between eight and 15 bin shifts.”

The FVR 165-300 and the FSR 140-260 have a gross vehicle mass of 16,500kg and 14,000kg, respectively. And with a gross combination mass of 32,000kg for the FVR, and 20,000kg for the FSR, Justin says these F Series trucks have heaps of power for the job.

And while the Isuzu trucks are an integral part of their business operations, Anthony finds satisfaction in another aspect of Isuzu.

“Without trucks, we haven’t got a business.

“We’re dependent on them; without them we’ll have stockpiles of waste and we wouldn’t be able to service our customers,” Anthony explained.

And North East Isuzu understands the importance of this.

Anthony said: “North East Isuzu is run by a family, and they were good to us when we bought our first Isuzu truck, and we stuck with them.

“We do repeat business with them now—they’re a one-stop show; they did the body, the livery, everything!

“Most importantly, they look after us really well. We’ve got a really good relationship with them, there’s no point going anywhere else,” he concluded.