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LogisticsISCO 9611

Refuse collector

A refuse collector is a person who removes waste from homes and other premises, loads it into the collection vehicle for transport to a treatment and disposal plant, and records how much was collected. The work is done alongside the driver of the vehicle, whom the collector assists, including at the unloading end of the round.

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Rate 5 of the 9 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.

assess waste type

collect industrial waste

manage waste

maintain refuse collection equipment

collect domestic waste

About refuse collector

The round is the shape of the day. The collector works through a route of addresses, handles containers that are heavy and unevenly loaded, and keeps the pace the schedule assumes. Waste collection records are kept as the round proceeds.

Knowing the material matters too. The collector identifies types of waste, works from a knowledge of waste and scrap products and of waste management, and knows how to deal with waste that has been presented wrongly. Construction and demolition waste and hazardous waste are collected by some crews, and those loads are handled under different rules from household refuse.

Safety and equipment complete the picture. The collector works to the health, safety and hygiene regulations that govern a job done in traffic, on foot, around a moving vehicle with a compaction mechanism, and maintains the waste collection equipment.

European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (9)

health, safety and hygiene legislationhealth, safety and hygiene legislationThe set of health, safety and hygiene standards and items of legislation applicable in a specific sector.waste managementwaste managementThe methods, materials and regulations used to collect, transport, treat and dispose of waste. This includes recycling and monitoring of waste disposal. It excludes procedures related to waste inciner...waste and scrap productswaste and scrap productsThe offered waste and scrap products, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements.assess waste typeassess waste typeIdentify waste materials during collection and sorting operations in order to assess whether they need to be recycled, disposed of, or otherwise be treated.collect industrial wastecollect industrial wasteCollect non-hazardous or hazardous waste which is produced by industrial activities, such as paints, chemicals, industrial byproducts, and radioactive waste.manage wastemanage wasteManage or dispose of significant amounts of waste materials and/or hazardous materials, in accordance with legislation, thereby respecting environmental and company responsibilities. Ensure required l...maintain waste collection recordsmaintain waste collection recordsMaintain records on waste collection routes, scheduling, and types and volume of waste collected.maintain refuse collection equipmentmaintain refuse collection equipmentIdentify and repair minor damage to refuse collection equipment as well as perform routine maintenance tasks.collect domestic wastecollect domestic wasteCollect non-hazardous waste from residential areas and homes in order to remove it from the area and transport it to a waste treatment and disposal facility.
Optional (15) — show
waste transport legislationwaste transport legislationRegulations and legislation concerning the safe transportation of hazardous and non-hazardous waste materials, products, and appliances.pollution preventionpollution preventionThe processes used to prevent pollution: precautions to pollution of the environment, procedures to counter pollution and associated equipment, and possible measures to protect the environment.hazardous waste storagehazardous waste storageThe regulations and procedures surrounding the safekeeping of materials and substances which pose health and safety risks.sort wastesort wasteManually or automatically sort waste by separating it into its different elements.empty community waste collection binsempty community waste collection binsEmpty containers placed on public sites used for the disposal of non-hazardous waste and to transport the waste to waste treatment and disposal facilities.monitor civic recycling sitesmonitor civic recycling sitesMonitor sites and facilities which contain recycling points and in which individuals can dispose of domestic waste, in order to ensure safety, compliance with legislation, and that the public uses the...operate recycling processing equipmentoperate recycling processing equipmentOperate recycling processing equipment such as granulators, crushers and balers; process and sort materials to be recycled.educate on recycling regulationseducate on recycling regulationsEducate organisations and individuals on the correct procedures and legislation concerning the recycling of different types of waste in different types of containers, waste collection procedures, and ...dispose of hazardous wastedispose of hazardous wasteDispose of dangerous materials such as chemical or radioactive substances according to environmental and to health and safety regulations.maintain recycling recordsmaintain recycling recordsMaintain records and process facts and figures about type and volume of different recycling operations.dispose of non-hazardous wastedispose of non-hazardous wasteDispose of waste materials which pose no risk to health and safety in a manner which complies with recycling and waste management procedures except for waste incineration.use personal protection equipmentuse personal protection equipmentMake use of protection equipment according to training, instruction and manuals. Inspect the equipment and use it consistently.install recycling containersinstall recycling containersTake care of the installation of containers for recyclable waste, such as cardboard paper, glass bottles and clothing, in the appropriate places.report pollution incidentsreport pollution incidentsWhen an incident causes pollution, examine the extent of the damage and what the consequences could be and report it relevant institution following pollution reporting procedures.identify damage to public spaceidentify damage to public spaceMonitor the state of public spaces and properties, such as parks, roads, public buildings, and public squares, during work activities in order to identify recent damage and assess the gravity of the d...

Related Occupations

Occupations that need many of the same essential skills, so the move between them is shortest.

recycling worker5 shared essential skillssorter labourer5 shared essential skillshazardous waste technician3 shared essential skillsrefuse vehicle driver3 shared essential skillssolid waste operator3 shared essential skillsstreet sweeper3 shared essential skillswaste management officer3 shared essential skillsfood technologist2 shared essential skills

Frequently asked questions

What does a refuse collector do?

Refuse collectors remove waste from homes and other facilities and put it in the bin lorry so it can be transported to a treatment and disposal facility. They assist the driver of the bin lorry, help unload the waste, and record the amount of refuse collected. They may also collect waste from construction and demolition sites, and hazardous waste.

What skills does a refuse collector need?

A refuse collector needs 9 essential skills, including health, safety and hygiene legislation, waste management, waste and scrap products, assess waste type, collect industrial waste.

Will AI replace refuse collector jobs?

The AI disruption score for refuse collector is 51/100 (moderate risk). Skills most exposed to automation: maintain waste collection records, maintain recycling records, assess waste type. Most resilient: install recycling containers, maintain refuse collection equipment, dispose of hazardous waste.

Quick Facts

SectorLogistics
ISCO GroupRefuse workers and other elementary workers
Essential Skills9

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