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Recycle Coordinator - Good For the Environment, and Little College Education

A Recycle Coordinator is a person who establishes, coordinates and promotes recycling programs. This is an environmentally friendly job, so if you like the idea of doing your part to help the environment, you might want to consider becoming a recycle coordinator. The average salary of a recycle coordinator is around $40,000 a year. Although a college major in environmental studies would be helpful, it's not usually required. Many recycle coordinators start at the bottom, as trash collectors, and work their way up.

Most recycle coordinators spend their workdays behind a desk entering data, crunching numbers, and working to develop more and better recycling programs. In small towns, it's often difficult to get consumers to participate in recycling programs, so one obstacle many recycle coordinators face is getting the public's support on many of the programs that are implemented. As a result, the recycle coordinator may find himself trying out new ways to get the public's interest in these programs, such as setting up recycle dumpsters around town, providing materials to those interested in recycling, such as clear bags and ties, or even providing recycling collection routes, just like trash collection.

In many communities, albeit larger cities, recycling can save the consumer money, as trash collectors charge per bag, rather than a set rate, while recyclable products aren't charged at all. In this type of program, it pays to separate trash, so that the recyclables are collected for free and it causes less general trash, which must be paid for. Another program that is offered in a few communities is that the charge for trash collection is offset by the amount a household recycles. For instance, for each bag of aluminum cans or for each 5 lbs of newspapers collected, a dollar is knocked off the trash collection fee. In still other communities, recyclables are paid for in cash. Quite a few companies pay for aluminum cans; some also pay for newspapers or other recyclable paper. Implementing and promoting some of these types of programs is the responsibility of a recycle coordinator.

Although the recycle industry has had its ups and downs, with people being on board for a while, then becoming bored with the effort, in general the recycle effort is growing nationwide. Recycling has been around for many years, dating all the way back to the Middle Ages, when tanners would collect urine to use in tanning hides. During the 19th century, bones were recycled into glue, paper and gelatin. During the Civil War, gold and scrap metal were reworked into bullets and weapons. During World War II, every country involved in the war asked for donations of scrap metal from consumers, as well as other materials.

It's good practice to recycle whenever possible. According to facts.com, recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a television for 3 hours.

As a recycle coordinator, it would be your job to do everything possible in order to help the community understand the benefits of recycling. The environment thanks you, and one day future generations will thank you too.

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