What will you do?
The job is also known as recycling worker, materials sorting worker or handpicker. You identify materials, separate them by type and decide what can be reused and what has to be recycled. You move goods internally, store them correctly and keep your work records up to date.
- Identify the different materials you handle
- Sort materials for recycling
- Sort goods for reuse
- Move goods internally and store them correctly
- Keep your work records up to date
- Maintain your machines and your work station
- Work safely and with respect for the environment
Skills to develop
- Good physical condition for standing, lifting and repetitive work
- Eye for detail to recognise and separate materials
- Knowledge of safety and environmental rules
- Reliable, accurate and a team player
Your foundation for this occupation
Sorters identify materials under the site's acceptance rules. Clarify the stream: textiles, metal, packaging and mixed goods need different knowledge. Learn accepted, nonconforming and unknown examples first. Speed follows reliable classification.
From preparation to your first day
Develop the practical skills
Practise with a manageable batch and discuss uncertain items. Separate reusable goods from recycling material where required. Composite items need care because appearance may not reveal their composition. Do not open unknown containers or suspicious objects on your own initiative.
Check your work
Check stream purity and report recurring contamination. Keep containers and storage clearly identified. Record exceptions affecting transport or later processing. Maintain order so correctly sorted material is not mixed again.
How can you grow?
Specialisation includes material streams, inspection or sorting-equipment operation after training. Material knowledge also supports reuse and incoming checks. Explain familiar streams and your response to uncertain items in applications.
Frequently asked questions
Are reuse and recycling the same?
Reuse retains an object as a usable product; recycling processes its materials. Criteria differ. A complete item is not automatically reusable, while a damaged one may still contain recoverable material.