The original storage container. (Source)

Do you want to save the planet? Of course you do. It's where you keep all your stuff.

Recycling is at the forefront of the wave of environmentalism. Or, as it's more intuitively known, the reason you have that whole other blue trash can outside. Have you ever wondered where that stuff goes when it's picked up? The answer is a materials recovery facility (MRF), or recycling plant (source). Like any plant that doesn't grow from the ground, an MRF has a manager.

A manager who could be you. Don't bother checking your ID just yet. It probably isn't you. If it were you, you'd likely be making somewhere in the range of $60,000 a year, and that's not the kind of thing you forget (source). 

So other than making a little scratch and keeping the world from being buried under an avalanche of trash, what's this whole thing about?

Basically, the whole idea behind recycling is to take things that are no longer seen as valuable and return them to a form in which they can be reused. A common unit of recycling would be something like a soda can. You finish it, and instead of throwing it in the garbage and letting it sit in a landfill, it gets carted off to an MRF where it can reshaped and reused.

It will probably hold a different kind of soda eventually, but it doesn't care. It's inanimate.

The raw material (the aluminum) is recovered from the used can and then is shipped off to a manufacturing plant where it gets filled back up. And don't worry, it's all totally sterile. The used aluminum is melted down in temperatures hot enough to kill any mouth cooties.

The recycling plant manager is at the top of this organization of people. They manage the teams—both the drivers and the people on the plant floor. The drivers are the ones you see picking up the recycling from in front of your house. The people on the floor separate the recycling, putting cans with cans, paper with paper, and glass with glass. Then they get to work returning that stuff to raw materials and getting it ready to ship. Anything that isn't shipped is stored, and the plant managers are in charge of that too.

If you enjoy a lot of responsibility, and you also want to feel like you're making a difference in the world, this could be a good career for you. The planet isn't going to save itself, and it's folks like recycling plant managers who are doing solid, practical work in that direction.

This is also a good career for someone who isn't quite a college graduate. While an associate's degree in something related to the field is a good thing, a trade school certificate is often just as good. You also need basic computer skills, some mechanical skills, a little experience, and most importantly, a knack for leadership. Someone with all of these skills, plus a passion for the environment, is likely to excel.

Of course, the qualifications and requirements may vary with location. Managing a recycling plant in a huge, bustling metropolis requires a high skill level in administrative as well as operational support. While it's true that experience in waste management operations is the best evidence of your ability to handle the job, it's not uncommon to encounter recycling plant managers with advanced degrees in business administration or industrial engineering (source). 

 

While punching them remains the worst way. (Source)

You'll encounter people of all kinds with all types of backgrounds in this field. Treating everyone with respect and valuing their contributions will be the best way to keep everything running smoothly.

You might think your typical day would depend on the day of the week. Not true. While recycling day is one specific day for you, pickup days are different throughout the city in an effort to establish a more routine process at the plants. Hence, in the mornings, you send out your trucks, making sure they're adhering to the schedule you set. Then you deal with the recycling at various stages. There's the stuff from yesterday which is still being sorted, the stuff from two days ago, which is being rendered, and so on.

Your best bet to get into this line of work is to have the right experience, either academically or through previous work in waste management. Preferably both. Both is a good idea. Working in places like warehouses or in transportation is a good thing, as is experience in assembly or packaging. While every plant is different, there's plenty of overlap in terms of useful skills.

Bear in mind, though, that it's not easy work. You're in charge of an entire plant, after all. You run the business side of the operation in addition to ensuring the safety of employees and efficiency of the plant. It's a tough calling, but it can be a good one. If you're not scared of responsibility, then go for it.

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