Recycling and Reclamation Workers

Recycling and reclamation workers will continue to have employment opportunities in the coming years. Many states will continue to focus on meeting waste-reduction and recycling goals. In November 2019, the Environmental Protection Agency revealed that the percentage of municipal solid waste that is recycled has grown from about 10 percent in 1985 to slightly more than 35 percent in 2017. Following this trajectory, recycling should continue growing.

The recycling industry is subject to business fluctuations as well as political and social trends, but demand and new technologies have created a viable market for recycled materials. The waste management and recycling industries will continue to need people to work in and run recovery facilities and do related work. Private businesses will also need recycling and reclamation workers, including coordinators, for their in-house programs.

The Department of Labor predicts slower than average (2–3 percent) employment growth for recycling and reclamation workers through 2028. Job openings will arise when workers move on to other jobs or retire from the field or as recycling efforts increase. Those who have an associate's or bachelor's degree and several years of experience at a recycling facility will have the advantage in the job market.