Careers > Recycling and Reclamation Workers

Recycling and Reclamation Workers

$36.11K Median Salary 411.3K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 9.1% Job Growth

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About This Career

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

Reported Job Titles

Bobcat Driver, Box Sorter, Convenience Recycle Center Technician (Convenience Recycle Center Tech), Deconstruction and Decontamination Waste Operations Specialist (D and D Waste Operations Specialist), Non-Ferrous Material Handler, Sort Line Worker, Sorter, Transfer Station Operator

Career data shown for:

Skills You'll Need

Click on skills to find related courses.

Abilities

Manual Dexterity

Control Precision

Arm-Hand Steadiness

Multilimb Coordination

Near Vision

Category Flexibility

Finger Dexterity

Trunk Strength

Flexibility of Closure

Information Ordering

Oral Comprehension

Oral Expression

Perceptual Speed

Rate Control

Reaction Time

Selective Attention

Depth Perception

Far Vision

Speed of Limb Movement

Knowledge

Production and Processing

Mechanical

Administration and Management

Public Safety and Security

Education and Training

Customer and Personal Service

English Language

Personnel and Human Resources

Skills

Operation and Control

Active Listening

Monitoring

Operations Monitoring

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software

Office suite software

Word processing software

Calendar and scheduling software

Tools

Packaging compactors

Front end loaders

Screwdrivers

Cargo trucks

Sorters

Two way radios

Hex keys

Ladders

Hoists

Crushers

Blow torch

Acoustic ear muffs or defenders

Belt conveyors

Paper shredding machines or accessories

Power drills

Lifts

Grinding or polishing machines

Photocopiers

Pallet trucks

Minivans or vans

Locking pliers

Special purpose telephones

Refrigerant compressors

Adjustable wrenches

Pocket calculator

Laser fax machine

Claw hammer

Wire cutters

Safety glasses

Utility knives

Forklifts

Desktop computers

Personal computers

Power saws

Skid steer loaders

Abilities

Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Rate Control: The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Depth Perception: The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
Speed of Limb Movement: The ability to quickly move the arms and legs.

Knowledge

Production and Processing: Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Public Safety and Security: Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Personnel and Human Resources: Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Skills

Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Calendar and scheduling software: Appointment scheduling software

Tools

Packaging compactors: Aluminum compactors; Cardboard compactors
Front end loaders: Wheeled front end loaders
Screwdrivers: Mini screwdriver sets
Cargo trucks: Logging trucks
Sorters: Sorting machines
Two way radios:
Hex keys: Allen wrenches; Hex wrenches
Ladders: Extension ladders
Hoists: Hoisting equipment
Crushers: Crushing machines
Blow torch: Underwater blow torches
Acoustic ear muffs or defenders: Protective ear muffs
Belt conveyors: Conveyer belt systems
Paper shredding machines or accessories: Paper shredders
Power drills: Hand drills
Lifts: Power lifts
Grinding or polishing machines: Polishing machines
Photocopiers: Photocopying equipment
Pallet trucks: Pallet jacks
Minivans or vans: Work vans
Locking pliers: Channel lock pliers; Vise grip pliers
Special purpose telephones: Multi-line telephone systems
Refrigerant compressors: Refrigerant recovery units
Adjustable wrenches: Adjustable hand wrenches
Pocket calculator: Handheld calculators
Laser fax machine: Laser facsimile machines
Claw hammer: Claw hammers
Wire cutters:
Safety glasses: Protective safety glasses
Utility knives: Precision knives
Forklifts:
Desktop computers:
Personal computers:
Power saws: Chain saws
Skid steer loaders: Bobcats

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