Occupations · Transportation and Material Moving

Recycling Coordinators

Supervise curbside and drop-off recycling programs for municipal governments or private firms.

O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 53-1042.01

What people in this job actually do

Ordered by how important the work is rated.

Oversee recycling pick-up or drop-off programs to ensure compliance with community ordinances.
Assign truck drivers or recycling technicians to routes.
Maintain logs of recycling materials received or shipped to processing companies.
Create or manage recycling operations budgets.
Prepare bills of lading, statements of shipping records, or customer receipts related to recycling or hazardous material services.
Supervise recycling technicians, community service workers, or other recycling operations employees or volunteers.
Inspect physical condition of recycling or hazardous waste facility for compliance with safety, quality, and service standards.
Negotiate contracts with waste management or other firms.
Operate recycling processing equipment, such as sorters, balers, crushers, and granulators to sort and process materials.
Coordinate shipments of recycling materials with shipping brokers or processing companies.
Review customer requests for service to determine service needs and deploy appropriate resources to provide service.
Operate fork lifts, skid loaders, or trucks to move or store recyclable materials.

O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale

Skills that matter most

Importance, rated 1 to 5.

Speaking3.9

Active Listening3.6

Critical Thinking3.6

Reading Comprehension3.5

Monitoring3.5

Writing3.1

Active Learning3.1

Learning Strategies3.0

Mathematics2.5

Science1.2

O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale

Software and tools

A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.

Microsoft Access●Microsoft Excel●Microsoft Office software●Microsoft Outlook●Microsoft PowerPoint●Microsoft Word●SAP software●Email softwareOperational databasesWeb browser softwareWork scheduling software

O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag

What this work is actually like

Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.

2 / 5Some preparation — a school diploma and a few months of on-the-job training.

O*NET 30.3 Job Zones

Working conditions that stand out

Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions+1.8 above average

Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled+1.4 above average

In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment+1.4 above average

Exposed to Contaminants+1.4 above average

Exposed to Hazardous Equipment+1.3 above average

Outdoors, Under Cover+1.2 above average

Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures+0.9 above average

O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2014-07

How people actually get in

Share of workers by the education they hold.

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)47%

Bachelor's Degree30%

Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)23%

O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2014-07

What kind of person the work suits

Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.

Enterprising4.8

Conventional4.6

Realistic4.0

O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)

What you take with you

Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.

Management of Personnel Resources3.8

Coordination3.6

Time Management3.6

Judgment and Decision Making3.4

Social Perceptiveness3.2

Persuasion3.1

Service Orientation3.0

Complex Problem Solving3.0

O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale

Knowledge the work draws on

Customer and Personal ServiceAdministration and ManagementAdministrativeEducation and TrainingProduction and ProcessingMathematics

Abilities it leans on

Oral ExpressionOral ComprehensionSpeech RecognitionSpeech ClarityDeductive ReasoningInformation Ordering

O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale

How this job is advertised

The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.

Agency OperatorRoute SupervisorRecycling WorkerRecycling SorterMaterials ManagerRecycling ManagerRecycling OperatorRecycle SupervisorRecycle CoordinatorRecycling TechnicianRecycling SupervisorRecycling SpecialistRecycling CoordinatorRoute Rider Supervisor

O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation

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What changed since 2020

Comparing O*NET release 25.1 (2020-11-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 2 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.

Now listed 2

+Operational databases+Microsoft Outlook

Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.

O*NET 30.3 related occupations

Also called

Agency OperatorRoute SupervisorRecycling SorterRecycling WorkerRecycling ManagerMaterials ManagerRecycling OperatorRecycle SupervisorRecycle CoordinatorRecycling SpecialistRecycling TechnicianRecycling Supervisor

O*NET 30.3 alternative titles

The same work in Europe

ESCO occupation	ISCO	Match
recycling specialist	2143.1.3	exact
waste management officer	1321.1.5	close
landfill supervisor	3112.1.9	close
waste management supervisor	3122.5	broader
waste broker	3324.1.2	broader

Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)

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