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Recycling Coordinators

Under the title Recycling Coordinators, workers supervise curbside and drop-off recycling programs for municipal governments or private firms. O*NET rates it as some preparation, which usually means a few months to a year of learning on the job. It leans on speaking, management of personnel resources, and time management. You may also need to oversee recycling pick-up or drop-off programs to ensure compliance with community ordinances. Its interest code is ECR. Enterprising leads at 4.8 out of 7, so expect leading, persuading and making business decisions, with Conventional next at 4.6. A regular part of the work is to maintain logs of recycling materials received or shipped to processing companies. If you want leading, persuading and making business decisions, keep it on your list. If you need creative work with room for original expression, it may feel thin.

What they do

Supervise curbside and drop-off recycling programs for municipal governments or private firms.

Main tasks

  • Oversee recycling pick-up or drop-off programs to ensure compliance with community ordinances.
  • Maintain logs of recycling materials received or shipped to processing companies.
  • Supervise recycling technicians, community service workers, or other recycling operations employees or volunteers.
  • Review customer requests for service to determine service needs and deploy appropriate resources to provide service.
  • Provide training to recycling technicians or community service workers on topics such as safety, solid waste processing, or general recycling operations.
  • Identify or investigate new opportunities for materials to be collected and recycled.

Skills

  • Speaking
  • Management of Personnel Resources
  • Time Management
  • Critical Thinking
  • Coordination
  • Active Listening

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You like taking the lead and making the call.
  • You like clear rules and getting the details right.
  • You want to start work after a short stretch of training.
  • You are comfortable relying on speaking and management of personnel resources.

May not suit you if

  • You would rather not persuade, sell or manage other people.
  • You need creative expression to be a big part of your day. Artistic rates 1.0 out of 7 here.
  • You want a career built on years of advanced study.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code ECR takes the three highest, and Enterprising comes first here.

Preparation

Some preparation. Most people start with a high school diploma, then learn from experienced coworkers over a few months to a year.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED). This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Heavy Equipment Supervisor
  • Recycle Coordinator
  • Recycling Coordinator
  • Recycling Manager
  • Recycling Program Manager

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.