Careers in Recycling

I mentioned in a previous post that I was asked to do a presentation about Careers in Recycling. I hadn’t really thought about it much but once I did I realized there are lots of opportunities for students that want to work in the recycling field. Tell me if I missed anything on this list?

1. Engineer – This is an important occupation because recycling is always becoming more high-tech.
2. Public Administrator – For many communities, recycling infrastructure is handled by the government, thus an administrator to oversee these projects is needed.
3. Environmental Lawyer – Every field needs lawyers. Lots of recycling business is done via contracts between two parties.
4. Environmental Educator – It is important to provide environmental education to our school children and help them understand the reasons for recycling and how that impacts our community and the world in which we live.
5. Product Designer – With all types of material being recycled by residents and businesses we need to make sure we close the loop by making products from recycled material.
6. Economist – I love to use recycling as an example of economics. It is a great example of supply and demand.
7. International Business Administrator – Lots of recyclable material is now going overseas to make products that are eventually returned to the U.S. as goods we purchase. Being able to speak multiple languages and work in a global marketplace is very important for recycling companies.
8. Psychologist and Sociologist – As recycling professionals we are always trying to understand why some people recycle and some don’t. This is where psychologists and sociologists come in handy to conduct surveys and focus groups to learn more about people’s behavior.
9. Graphic Designer and Film Maker – Creative type people are needed immensely to further the recycling message.
10. Communications and Marketing Specialist – A C&M Specialist uses lots of material and information from all those listed above to increase the amount of material recycled.

If you are interested in borrowing this presentation, just let me know.