Recycling or Waste Collector
What the work is
Collects household, commercial and industrial waste for recycling or disposal.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Collects waste and recycling bins and containers from residential, commercial and industrial areas
- Positions bins for collection and manually empties bins into waste collection trucks
- Communicates with supervisors and team members to coordinate waste collection
- Assists in transporting waste and recyclable materials to waste transfer stations, landfill sites and materials recovery facilities
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a small local contractor that services pools, restocks vending machines and installs signs for schools, clubs and shops. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A cloudy pool turns clear and the family jumps in before you have packed the van
- A sign goes up straight and level on the first try, and the shop owner smiles
- A varied day where no two jobs are the same and the van is full of your tools
Hard days
- A customer who wants a job done now when it can't be done safely
- Heat and heavy lifting on a pool deck or a ladder in a strong wind
- A machine that keeps jamming and a queue of people waiting for a drink
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 899935, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.