Recycling Worker

A recycling worker sorts, separates, and processes recyclable materials at material recovery facilities or collection sites in Australia. They operate machinery to compact, shred, or bale materials, manually sort contaminated items, and load sorted materials onto vehicles or into storage. The role involves hazard identification, adherence to workplace safety protocols, and compliance with environmental regulations under state-based waste management schemes.

Sort incoming recyclable materials into designated streams including paper, cardboard, plastics, metals, and glass at sorting lines or conveyor systems. Identify and remove contaminated items such as food waste, hazardous materials, or non-recyclable plastics to prevent processing equipment damage. Operate balers, compactors, or shredders to compress or process sorted recyclables into transportable units. Load baled or compacted materials onto trucks or into storage containers using forklifts or manual handling equipment. Inspect materials for quality and correct sorting, rejecting items that do not meet material specifications or safety standards. Monitor conveyor belts and sorting equipment for jams, spillage, or equipment malfunction and report breakdowns to supervisors. Sweep, hose, and clean work areas and equipment to maintain facility hygiene and reduce contamination risks. Wear and maintain personal protective equipment including steel-capped boots, high-visibility clothing, gloves, and respiratory protection as required.

The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate I or compulsory secondary education (ABS skill level 5). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

The work is physically demanding with repetitive strain injuries common from sorting and manual handling. Pay sits at the lower end of the logistics scale, and automation is replacing sorting workers in some facilities. You'll also deal with contaminated waste including needles, chemicals, and rotting food regularly, which means genuine health and safety risks despite protective gear.

Regional areas have fewer facilities. Most work is permanent on-site at the facility itself, not remote. Private waste companies and council-run recycling centres are the main employers.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 8399, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Adaptability and Flexibilitycore
• Attention to Detailcore
• Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracycore
• Goods Receipt Processingcore
• Incident Reportingcore
• Inventory Trackingcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Stock Counting and Stocktakecore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Managementcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Data Entry and Accuracy
• Problem Solving
• Quality Assurance and Checking
• Returns Processing
• Supplier Communication
• Workload Self-Management

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 30 October 2026