Recycling Jobs
By Eric Hammer
Recycling jobs have been around for a while now, as many cities
in the United States have instituted mandatory recycling programs.
In essence, these kinds of jobs involve working on a kind of
assembly line, sorting out trash and or scrap metal to figure
out where it should go when it needs to be sorted. The job is
pretty steady since there is always going to be trash to be sorted
out and sent to the right locations, though it is a fairly monotonous
job.
The reason it's monotonous is that, like other jobs which
work on an assembly line, you don't really need to do much thinking.
The work is largely automated, though unlike a typical assembly
line, because you are sorting out other people's trash, you will
need to have a keen eye to spot the items that made it into the
sorting line which shouldn't have been put there to begin with.
The work can also be pretty smelly since many people recycle
bottles and glass without first washing them, meaning that you'll
often be around bits of unwashed food particles which were stuck
inside of the bottles or cartons when they were originally thrown
away, sometimes weeks before.
How Much Can You Make?
According to State University, the average salary for recycling
jobs is in the neighborhood of around $12 per hour, though that
can get higher or lower depending on where you are in the country
and how much demand there is for the work.
Ways to Make More | Related Opportunities
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Another possibility for working in recycling jobs is to work
in green building, where you take used materials and make them
into other things. For example, used tires are often used for
insulation purposes when creating housing projects. Many people
also specialize in reclaimed furniture, which is made out of
discarded wood and metal from older pieces of furniture and even
things like ships, which are no longer useable.
Of course, you could also work in the origination side of
recycling jobs, meaning that you could land work as a trash collector,
which actually happens to pay much better than some recycling
jobs. In all cases, the jobs don't require much in the way of
training since you'll pretty much be trained on the job.
Qualifications / Requirements
As noted above, there are no real requirements for recycling
jobs except that you have the physical stamina to stand for eight
hours or more in front of an assembly line, sorting out trash.
It is worth noting by the way that recycling jobs specifically
involve the sorting of trash rather than the sorting of garbage.
While most people tend to consider the two terms as being one
and the same, officially, garbage refers to things that come
from the kitchen or bathroom, such as rotting food and the like.
Trash typically refers to things which you don't want anymore,
but which theoretically could find some kind of use, such as
scrap metal and wood.
First Steps
Start by contacting waste recycling companies in your area
and ask if they have openings available. Mention that you are
specifically interested in recycling jobs as opposed to other
jobs involving the handling of waste. Consider contacting scrap
yards and scrap metal smelters as well to find out if they have
any recycling jobs available.
Resources
Check out these helpful resources to learn more about recycling
jobs:
State University: Recycling Jobs - This is an
excellent introduction to the world of recycling jobs and what
such jobs involve.
Recycling
Jobs - This is a listing of available recycling jobs from
all around the country.
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