Home Recycling Worker Resume template
Recycling Worker resume template
A clean starting structure with example content grounded in what recycling workers actually do day to day, not generic filler. Download and replace the bracketed placeholders with your own details.
Which resume format should you use?
Reverse chronological
You have a steady work history. This is the format almost every recruiter and ATS expects by default.
Functional
You're changing fields or have gaps in your employment. Leads with skills rather than a job-by-job timeline.
Combination
You're early career or have worked consistently but for only a few employers. Blends a skills summary with a shorter chronological history.
This template uses the reverse chronological format: the one most recycling workers should default to, since most Australian recruiters and ATS software expect it.
Professional summary
I am a reliable recycling worker with hands-on experience sorting and processing recyclable materials in material recovery facilities. I focus on removing contamination, operating baling and sorting equipment safely, and keeping work areas clean and compliant with WHS requirements. I am looking to apply my practical skills in a role that supports resource recovery and reduces landfill.
Key skills
- Conveyor sorting and manual separation
- Baling machine operation
- Forklift operation (current licence)
- Contamination removal and quality control
- Work Health and Safety (WHS) compliance
- Material recovery facility (MRF) equipment
- Physical stamina and manual dexterity
- Attention to detail in sorting
- Cleaning and grounds maintenance
- Plant and equipment operation
Experience: example bullet points
- Sorted mixed recyclables on a conveyor line, removing contaminants to meet quality standards and reduce rejected loads.
- Operated vertical and horizontal balers to compact cardboard and plastics, achieving consistent bale weights and reducing storage space needs.
- Loaded and unloaded collection vehicles, coordinating with drivers to maintain turnaround times during peak periods.
- Maintained cleanliness of sorting areas and equipment, lowering dust levels and improving safety for the team.
- Trained new staff on contamination identification and safe conveyor practices, cutting common sorting errors.
Education
Certificate III in Waste Management or a related qualification is typical, though many workers also hold diplomas or degrees, and some enter with year 12 or relevant experience.
Keywords an ATS is likely to scan for
Applicant tracking systems match your resume against terms in the job ad before a person ever sees it. Only include the ones that actually apply to your experience, but if a term below matches something you've done, use the same wording the job ad uses.
- Waste Management and Resource Recovery
- Work Health and Safety (WHS)
- EPA regulations
- AS/NZS 4801
- conveyor sorting
- baling
- forklift licence
- high-vis
- material recovery facility (MRF)
- contamination control
- circular economy
- SafeWork Australia
- waste levy
- resource recovery
Getting past ATS screening
- Match the specific skills, certifications and terms used in the job ad, not just your own wording for the same thing.
- Keep formatting simple: no tables, text boxes, columns, headers/footers or graphics. Parsers frequently drop content placed in these.
- Submit as .docx or PDF unless the job ad specifies otherwise.
- Use standard section headings (Experience, Education, Skills) rather than creative alternatives.
- List your core skills and technical competencies in their own section so a keyword scan can find them instantly.
This is a starting point, not a guarantee of interviews. Tailor every bullet point to your own real experience and the specific job ad.