Hands-on
2023-11 · Machine Learning
Explore a possible path
Recycling and Reclamation Workers
Prepare and sort materials or products for recycling. Identify and remove hazardous substances. Dismantle components of products such as appliances.
How does this connect to your interests? →A look at the work
- Sort materials, such as metals, glass, wood, paper or plastics, into appropriate containers for recycling.
- Clean recycling yard by sweeping, raking, picking up broken glass and loose paper debris, or moving barrels and bins.
- Operate forklifts, pallet jacks, power lifts, or front-end loaders to load bales, bundles, or other heavy items onto trucks for shipping to smelters or other recycled materials processing facilities.
- Sort metals to separate high-grade metals, such as copper, brass, and aluminum, for recycling.
- Clean, inspect, or lubricate recyclable collection equipment or perform routine maintenance or minor repairs on recycling equipment, such as star gears, finger sorters, destoners, belts, and grinders.
- Collect and sort recyclable construction materials, such as concrete, drywall, plastics, or wood, into containers.
- Extract chemicals from discarded appliances, such as air conditioners or refrigerators, using specialized machinery, such as refrigerant recovery equipment.
- Deposit recoverable materials into chutes or place materials on conveyor belts.
A selection of source-listed tasks; duties vary by role and employer.
Interests involved in this work
These source scores describe occupational work activities. They are separate from your personal test results.
6.3 / 7
Investigative
2023-11 · Machine Learning
Creative
2023-11 · Machine Learning
Helping people
2023-11 · Machine Learning
Enterprising
2023-11 · Machine Learning
Organizing
2023-11 · Machine Learning
Skills to explore
Source-reported importance on a 1–5 scale. Try a course, project or conversation to learn what these skills involve.
Operation and Control
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
2012-07
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
2012-07
Operations Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
2012-07
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
2012-07
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
2012-07
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
2012-07
Quality Control Analysis
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
2012-07
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
2012-07
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
2012-07
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
2012-07
Plan a small next step
Talk to someone doing this work, look for a supervised activity, and explore the subjects that interest you. Admission, licensing and current program requirements should be confirmed with the relevant institutions.
Source preparation category: Job Zone 2 of 5 · 2026-02. This category describes typical preparation, not your eligibility.
Source & methodology
O*NET-SOC code 53-7062.04 · Database 31.0 · Retrieved Oct 14, 2026. Dates on individual observations describe their source periods.
How interest exploration matching works →Data: O*NET® 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Used under CC BY 4.0. StudyIndex normalizes the presentation and adds exploration features; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions.