Recycling Officer
Also advertised as: Recycling Development Officer, Recycling Officer, Waste and Recycling Officer, Waste Minimisation Officer, Waste Reduction Officer
Manages a local authority or company's recycling and waste reduction schemes.
What the job involves
Recycling officers develop and run schemes to increase recycling rates and reduce waste, often for a local council or waste management company. You analyse tonnage data, run public awareness campaigns, and work with contractors to keep collection services running smoothly. The role blends environmental knowledge with project and stakeholder management.
Typical responsibilities
- Develop recycling and waste reduction initiatives
- Analyse recycling and contamination data
- Run public awareness and education campaigns
- Liaise with waste collection contractors
- Report performance against recycling targets
Common employers
- Local councils
- Waste management companies
- Housing associations
- Environmental charities
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£23,000 – £27,000 a year
With experience
£29,000 – £37,000 a year
Typical hours
37 hours, office based with some site visits
Working environment
Office with visits to depots and collection sites
Remote working
hybrid
Demand for this work
steady
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Data analysis
- Project management
- Communication
- Environmental policy knowledge
- Stakeholder engagement
Transferable skills you may already have
- Environmental studies or volunteering
- Project coordination
- Community engagement
Requirements employers ask for
- Data analysis
- Project management
- Communication
- Environmental policy knowledge
- Stakeholder engagement
- GCSEs including maths and English
Useful but not essential
- Environmental studies or volunteering
- Project coordination
- Community engagement
- Degree in environmental science, geography or sustainability
- Experience in waste management or local government
Helpful qualifications
- Degree in environmental science, geography or sustainability
- Experience in waste management or local government
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- Environmental Practitioner (Level 6)
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Environmental science
- Related subject: Geography
- Related subject: Sustainability studies
Where this career can lead
next
Waste Strategy Manager
next
Sustainability Manager
next
Head of Waste Services
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Direct contribution to environmental targets
- Varied work between data, campaigns and people
- Stable public sector employment options
What people find hard
- Recycling rates can be slow to shift despite effort
- Budget constraints in local government
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a recycling officer?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. preferred
- How much does a recycling officer earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £23,000 to £27,000 a year, rising towards £37,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Environmental studies or volunteering, Project coordination, Community engagement.
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Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 14 September 2026.
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