Plastics Factory Worker
What the work is
Performs routine tasks in manufacturing plastic goods.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Feeds raw plastic materials into machines and removes finished products
- Brushes and sprays release agents onto moulds to assist with the removal of moulded products
- Stops moulding machines and discharges contents
- Inspects finished products for defects, removes from production line, and reports the findings
- Assists supervisor and machine operators with the plastic manufacturing processes
- May smooth rough edges of moulded products using files, grinders and sanders
- May build up layers of fibreglass and resin on moulds
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a recycling facility sorting paper, plastics, glass and metal from kerbside bins, with a plastics reprocessing line next door. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- The sorted bales stack up neatly and you know each one is clean enough to be reused
- Spotting a problem item early and keeping the whole line running
- A load comes in messy and leaves as clean, valuable material
Hard days
- Standing at the sorting belt for hours while it keeps moving
- Finding things in the bins that should never have been there
- Noise, dust and a belt that never stops
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 839137, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.