Description
Sort and prepare materials and products for recycling in collection routes or at facilities. Identify and remove hazardous substances when required. Dismantle items, such as appliances or electronics, to recover recyclable components.
- • Clean materials to meet recycling requirements.
- • Recover refrigerants and other regulated chemicals from appliances using certified equipment.
- • Sort metals, glass, wood, paper, and plastics into appropriate containers.
- • Collect recyclables from curbside or drop-off sites and deliver to facilities.
- • Place recoverable materials into chutes or onto conveyor belts.
- • Operate or assist with automated and manual recycling collection vehicles.
- • Operate balers to compress recyclables into bales.
- • Use forklifts, pallet jacks, or loaders to move and load bales and heavy items for shipment.
- • Operate processing equipment, such as fiber sorters, crushers, and grinders.
- • Record logs of recycled materials and any waste chemicals removed.
- • Sort metals to separate high-grade materials like copper, brass, and aluminum.
- • Maintain a clean yard by sweeping, raking, and picking up debris; move barrels and bins.
- • Collect and sort recyclable construction materials, such as concrete, drywall, plastics, and wood.
- • Clean, inspect, and lubricate collection and processing equipment; perform routine maintenance or minor repairs.
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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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Sources & Standards:
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
