Job Title: Recycling Officer
Location: Exeter
Pay Rate: per hour
Hours: 0800-1600 Monday – Friday
Are you passionate about the environment and eager to make a real difference? We are partnering with a forward-thinking local authority in Exeter to recruit a motivated and enthusiastic Recycling Promotions Officer to join their dedicated Environment and Fleet team.
Our client is at the heart of Exeter’s efforts to become a greener city. They are seeking a dedicated individual to play a pivotal role in increasing and sustaining public participation in their recycling services.
The Role
As a Recycling Officer, you will be responsible for engaging with residents, community groups, and stakeholders to help the client maximise recycling rates, improve the quality of recyclable materials, generate income, and reduce the environmental impact of waste.
You will play a vital part in developing and delivering a high-quality, user-friendly waste and recycling service. This will involve promoting kerbside schemes, developing the network of bring sites, and exploring new ways to encourage waste minimisation.
Key Responsibilities
1. Community Engagement: Promote, develop, and analyse the Kerbside Recycling Scheme by liaising with residents, communities, external organisations, Councillors, and other Council staff to boost participation and income.
2. Service Development: Assist in developing and promoting services for garden waste, food waste, home composting, and other waste streams. Contribute to assessing the most suitable container types for different properties.
3. Site Management: Further develop the Council’s network of bring sites to maximise usage. Monitor yields closely to optimise collection frequencies and identify area-specific interventions.
4. Communications & Campaigns: Organise and implement effective communication and promotional activities to educate the public and encourage positive behavioural change. This includes using a variety of methods such as written letters, emails, the council website, social media, one-to-one discussions, and presentations.
5. Targeted Interventions: Monitor scheme performance to identify communities with low participation or specific service issues. Design and implement targeted communications and service adjustments to address these challenges.
6. Partnership Working: Establish effective partnerships with community stakeholders, including landlords, the University, Housing services, and local community groups, to foster improved participation and correct waste presentation.
7. Enforcement & Compliance: Assist with the enforcement of key waste legislation, liaising with other environmental services and, when necessary, issuing environmental notices.
8. Analysis & Improvement: Assist with the evaluation of waste minimisation campaigns and service changes by analysing customer feedback, survey data, and service trends to formulate solutions for continuous improvement.
9. Out-of-Hours Work: Occasionally work outside core office hours to attend external meetings and events, and to deliver presentations.
About You
To succeed in this role, you will be a confident communicator with a passion for sustainability. You will be comfortable working both in an office and out in the community, engaging with a wide range of people.
Essential Requirements:
10. Qualifications & Experience:
11. HNC or equivalent qualification in Waste Management or a related environmental discipline, or significant proven experience in promoting recycling and behavioural change.
12. Educated to GCSE level or equivalent, including Maths at Grade C or above.
13. Knowledge & Skills:
14. A good understanding of the waste management industry, including key legislation and the application of the waste hierarchy.
15. Proficiency in a variety of communication methods, both written and verbal.
16. A very good working knowledge of Windows IT packages, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
17. Strong negotiation and persuasion skills.
18. A proven ability to manage your own workload and complete projects to agreed deadlines.
19. Personal Attributes:
20. A smart and professional appearance.
21. Clearly spoken with excellent verbal communication skills.
22. A cooperative and flexible approach to work.
23. A strong understanding of equal opportunities issues and the ability to apply these principles to the delivery of waste management services.
24. Other:
25. Must hold a valid driving licence.
26. Must be physically able to carry out the requirements of the post, including conducting site visits in all weathers and some manual handling moving wheeled bins).
27. Willingness to work occasionally outside normal office hours.