Garbage and Recyclable Material Collectors
On the Job
Garbage and Recyclable Material Collectors collect garbage or recyclables from containers and load them onto a truck.
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Inspect motor vehicles.
- Operate vehicles or material-moving equipment.
- Operate cranes, hoists, or other moving or lifting equipment.
- Operate packing or other material processing equipment.
- Clean vehicles or vehicle components.
- Climb ladders or vehicles to perform duties.
- Load shipments, belongings, or materials.
- Notify others of emergencies, problems, or hazards.
- Report vehicle or equipment malfunctions.
- Maintain vehicles in good working condition.
Typical Working Conditions
- Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.
- Working in a closed vehicle or equipment.
- Working outdoors exposed to weather.
- Using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
- Freedom to make decisions without supervision.
- Exposure to contaminants (like gases or odors).
- The importance of being accurate or exact.
- Exposure to hazardous equipment.
- High levels of competition.
- Meeting strict deadlines.
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 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.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.