Recycling Officer

Typical Salary

£19,000 To £35,000

Typical Hours

37 to 39 a week

evenings attending events or appointments

How To Become a Recycling Officer

You can get into this job through:

a university course
a college course
an apprenticeship
volunteering
applying directly

College / University

Many employers will ask for a higher national diploma or degree in waste management or environmental sciences, accredited by the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management.

1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a higher national diploma

2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

You could do a college course to learn some of the skills you need for this job, like a Level 3 Certificate in the Principles of Sustainable Waste Management.

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

Apprenticeship

You could start by doing an advanced or higher apprenticeship in sustainable resource management. You could also do an environmental practitioner degree apprenticeship.

5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

Routes into this Career are not listed for this job.

You could apply directly to work as a recycling officer. It will be helpful if you have a good standard of education, and experience of recycling projects and initiatives before applying.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

the ability to work well with others
customer service skills
leadership skills
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
to be flexible and open to change
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
knowledge of teaching and the ability to design courses
maths knowledge
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Day To Day Tasks

Your day-to-day duties could include:

managing local recycling facilities and collection services
reporting and monitoring
assessing tenders and managing contracts
managing budgets and funding applications
investigating complaints
recruiting and training volunteers

Working Environment

You could work in an office or at a waste recycling site.

Your working environment may be outdoors some of the time.

You may need to wear safety clothing and use safety equipment.

Career Path & Progression

You could move into freelance work as an environmental consultant.

With further study you could become a chartered waste manager.

You may also be able to apply for chartered environmentalist status. You can find out more about being a chartered environmentalist from the Society for the Environment.

Volunteering Opportunities

Paid or unpaid experience working in waste management, or on local recycling or environmental projects, can help you get started if you do not have a higher education qualification.

Tips & Information

Further information

You can find out more about careers in recycling from the Waste Management Industry Training and Advisory Board.

Restrictions & Requirements

You'll need to:

have a full driving licence