Waste company Bingo Industries has entered pleas of guilty to criminal cartel offences relating to price fixing for demolition waste services in Sydney.
Bingo was charged with these offences after an investigation by the ACCC and referral to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP).
It is alleged that in mid-2019, Bingo agreed with its competitors Aussie Skips Bin Services and Aussie Skips Recycling to fix and increase prices for the supply of skip bins and the provision of waste processing services for building and demolition waste in Sydney.
Bingo’s former managing director and CEO, Daniel Tartak has also been charged with two criminal cartel offences.
The charges relate to alleged breaches of the cartel provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act and will be heard by the Federal Court.
“When companies arrange to fix prices, they usually do so to increase their profits, and it is consumers that pay the increased cost,” ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said.
“Cartel conduct not only frequently impacts consumers, but it can also significantly harm competing businesses and the economy more broadly. Trying to detect cartels early and working with whistleblowers is an essential component of our work.”
In a statement, Bingo Industries said it has cooperated with the ACCC and the CDPP throughout its investigation and regrets that the matter occurred.
“It does not reflect Bingo’s values or standards of conduct,” the waste management company said.
‘The matter primarily relates to certain pricing over a period of about two months over July and August 2019 in Bingo’s Sydney skip bin and processing businesses, the latter predominantly at three facilities.
“Since the matter occurred there have been significant changes in Bingo’s ownership, board, and executive team, including improvements to Bingo’s governance processes.”
The matter will be listed for case management hearing in the Federal Court at a later stage.
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