The requirements for becoming a waste collector may differ depending on the country. In fact, different requirements may exist in different parts of the same country. A waste collector must, in most cases, be a legal adult with a high school diploma or its equivalent and a valid driver’s license. If a person wants to work as a waste collector, he or she will typically need a clean criminal record as well as satisfactory results on a drug test.
A waste collector is someone who drives a waste collection truck, also known as a garbage truck, and collects trash from homes, businesses, and industrial facilities. A person in this position usually picks up garbage cans and bags and throws them into the back of a garbage truck by hand. Instead, a mechanical mechanism is sometimes used, which lifts an entire dumpster and dumps its contents into the back of the truck without requiring the waste collector to get out and assist. The garbage is usually compacted and taken to a specific location after the waste collector loads it into the back of the truck. He could, for example, dispose of it in a landfill or incineration plant.
A person who wants to work as a waste collector must meet a few requirements. For this position, most communities only hire adults with a high school diploma or a General Educational Development (GED) diploma. A driver’s license is required because driving a garbage truck is part of the job, and some jurisdictions require special licensing due to the truck’s size. Many employers also conduct background checks to ensure that applicants are trustworthy and unlikely to commit crimes while on the job. This could include background checks and drug testing to detect illegal drug use.
A person who wants to work as a waste collector should think about the demands of the job before applying, in addition to the requirements that employers have. A waste collector must be prepared to deal with garbage that spills from cans and bags as he handles them. Insects can also make garbage collection unpleasant, especially in hot weather. Animals, such as rodents that have climbed into trash cans and dogs on the residential properties from which they collect waste, may be encountered by waste collectors. Many places also demand that waste collectors be able to lift at least 50 pounds (22.67 kilograms) on their own.