Description
Operate and maintain recycling systems to sort and process materials, recover hazardous substances, and dismantle products and appliances for material reclamation while meeting safety and quality standards.
- • Recover refrigerants and other regulated chemicals from appliances with certified recovery equipment.
- • Dismantle appliances and products to remove recoverable parts and hazardous components.
- • Sort metals, glass, wood, paper, and plastics by type and grade into designated containers.
- • Feed materials into chutes, hoppers, or onto conveyors for processing.
- • Operate balers and compactors to compress recyclables into bales.
- • Operate forklifts, pallet jacks, and loaders to move bales and heavy items and load trucks.
- • Operate and monitor processing equipment such as optical or fiber sorters, shredders, and grinders.
- • Clean and decontaminate materials, such as metals, per recycling requirements.
- • Separate nonferrous metals—copper, brass, and aluminum—from mixed streams.
- • Record weights, grades, and chemicals recovered; maintain production and compliance logs.
- • Perform routine cleaning, inspection, lubrication, and minor repairs on sorting and conveying equipment.
- • Keep the recycling area clean by sweeping, raking, and removing debris.
- • Verify bale quality and remove contaminants according to specifications.
- • Follow OSHA and EPA rules, SDS guidance, and facility safety procedures; use PPE.
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Energy & Natural Resources
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
