Recycling officer: Job description

Recycling officers help plan and develop the environmental and waste reduction policies of local authorities such as county, district, borough and metropolitan councils. They achieve this in a variety of ways, including:

• managing local recycling schemes;
• creating and delivering educational programmes;
• organising community and media liaison initiatives.

Recycling officers often work in departments of local government, e.g. environmental services, waste management or community services. Opportunities to work as recycling officers are also becoming more common in the private sector.

The role of recycling officer has increased in importance in recent years, at least partly due to government targeting initiatives for reducing domestic and industrial waste.

Typical work activities

The role of a recycling officer is concerned primarily with promoting recycling within the local area by improving existing recycling facilities and developing new ways to meet local and national targets.

Typical activities may include:

• highlighting the importance of recycling to the local community and media;
• encouraging households and businesses to recycle more;
• initiating new recycling schemes;
• monitoring and expanding existing schemes, e.g. recycling banks, kerbside collections and composting;
• monitoring the use of facilities;
• strategic planning for the management and development of recycling;
• comparing cost and performance of current schemes with new 'best practice' schemes to maximise resources and reduce costs;
• collecting data, compiling statistics and drafting reports;
• managing budgets, assessing tenders and preparing funding bids;
• advising and assisting local community groups; 
• developing a recycling infrastructure; 
• preparing, managing and monitoring contracts; 
• managing and promoting initiatives to encourage the support and cooperation of the public through advertising and publicity campaigns; 
• evaluating the benefits of collection, transportation and processing methods against the savings made in energy and natural resources;
• managing the operation of collection schemes for recyclable treatment plants and composting process plants;
• complying with current recycling legislation and EU policy;
• advising local businesses on waste disposal and recycling initiatives;
• recruiting and training volunteers in community organisations.