Recycling worker
Also called car breaker, vehicle breaker, car dissasembler
Recycling workers clean materials and remove waste, and ensure the waste and collected materials are sorted in the appropriate recycling containers. They also dismantle vehicles and sort the parts collected, and deposit recyclable materials onto conveyor belts where they can be further sorted.
What you'd do
Refuse sorters · ILO- Searching through refuse and collecting items for recycling from dump sites, domestic, commercial and industrial premises or from public places such as streets
- Sorting cardboard, paper, glass, plastic, aluminium or other recyclable materials by type
- Placing recyclable items and materials in designated compartments and containers for storage or transportation
- Identifying and setting aside items of furniture, equipment, machinery or components that are suitable for repair or re-use
- Transporting recyclable items by hand or using non-motorized vehicles
- Selling recyclable or reusable materials
- Mostly outdoors
- On your feet most of the day
- Lots of contact with people
- Some freedom to decide
- Often more than 40 hours a week
- Deadlines most weeks
- Some repetitive tasks
Will there be jobs?
Yes, good prospectsMany jobs will need filling by 2035.
Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.
What does it pay?
Below averagePay depends a lot on the country: from about €700 a month (Bulgaria) to €4,000 (Denmark), before tax.
Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.
Among elementary occupations in the EU, women earn 9% less per hour than men. Elementary occupations · Eurostat
What do I need to study?
Basic schoolingMost people start with basic schooling and learn on the job.
Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.
Will AI change it?
Very littleAI could help with only small parts of the tasks.
Average task score 0.18 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).
See the score for each of the 6 tasks
Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for refuse sorters. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).