Recycling and Reclamation Workers

What the job really is

Prepare and sort materials or products for recycling. Identify and remove hazardous substances. Dismantle components of products such as appliances.

At a glance

• Sector: Transportation & Material Moving
• O*NET-SOC code: 53-7062
• O*NET job zone: 2 — some preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Sort materials, such as metals, glass, wood, paper or plastics, into appropriate containers for recycling.
• Clean recycling yard by sweeping, raking, picking up broken glass and loose paper debris, or moving barrels and bins.
• Operate forklifts, pallet jacks, power lifts, or front-end loaders to load bales, bundles, or other heavy items onto trucks for shipping to smelters or other recycled materials processing facilities.
• Sort metals to separate high-grade metals, such as copper, brass, and aluminum, for recycling.
• Clean, inspect, or lubricate recyclable collection equipment or perform routine maintenance or minor repairs on recycling equipment, such as star gears, finger sorters, destoners, belts, and grinders.
• Collect and sort recyclable construction materials, such as concrete, drywall, plastics, or wood, into containers.
• Extract chemicals from discarded appliances, such as air conditioners or refrigerators, using specialized machinery, such as refrigerant recovery equipment.
• Deposit recoverable materials into chutes or place materials on conveyor belts.
• Operate balers to compress recyclable materials into bundles or bales.
• Clean materials, such as metals, according to recycling requirements.
• Record logs of recycled materials or waste chemicals removed from products.
• Operate processing equipment, such as fiber-sorters and grinders, to sort, crush, or grind recyclable materials.

Tools and technology

Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Word, Adjustable hand wrenches, Belt conveyor systems, Blow torches, Cardboard balers, Channel lock pliers, Claw hammers, Cordless drills, Crushing machines, Desktop computers

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Recycling Coordinators
• Hazardous Materials Removal Workers
• Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
• Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
• Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
• Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment
• Machine Feeders and Offbearers
• Helpers--Extraction Workers

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 2 (some preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

Browse the verified job sources directory, or explore more occupations.

Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Recycling and Reclamation Workers — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.