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How exposed to AI is a Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector?

Of the 16 tasks O*NET lists for refuse and recyclable material collectors, 2 could be done in half the time with a chat window today. 10 cannot be sped up at all. Here is which.

Exposure means published research judged an AI could halve the time a task takes, at the same quality. It does not mean the task stops needing a person. How to read this

Also called
Front Load Trash Truck DriverGarbage ManRecycle DriverRefuse CollectorRoll Off Container Truck DriverRoll Off Truck DriverSanitation LaborerSwamperTrash CollectorTruck Driver
Reachable today Needs software built first Cannot be sped up
16
tasks rated for this occupation
0%
hold a degree, from a survey of 20
126k
people do this job in the US
15 of 52
least protected in transport

Every task, and what AI can do with it

These are O*NET's task statements for this occupation, exactly as written, sorted into the three bands by the ratings behind this report. Nothing has been reworded.

Reachable with a chat window today

2
  • Tag garbage or recycling containers to inform customers of problems, such as excess garbage or inclusion of items that are not permitted
  • Organize schedules for refuse collection

Only with software built on top

4
  • Fill out defective equipment reports
  • Communicate with dispatchers concerning delays, unsafe sites, accidents, equipment breakdowns, or other maintenance problems
  • Check road or weather conditions to determine how routes will be affected
  • Provide quotes for refuse collection contracts

Cannot be sped up

10
  • Operate automated or semi-automated hoisting devices that raise refuse bins and dump contents into openings in truck bodies
  • Inspect trucks prior to beginning routes to ensure safe operating condition
  • Drive trucks, following established routes, through residential streets or alleys or through business or industrial areas
  • Operate equipment that compresses collected refuse
  • Dump refuse or recyclable materials at disposal sites
  • Dismount garbage trucks to collect garbage and remount trucks to ride to the next collection point
  • Refuel trucks or add other fluids, such as oil or brake fluid
  • Clean trucks or compactor bodies after routes have been completed
  • Sort items set out for recycling and throw materials into designated truck compartments
  • Make special pickups of recyclable materials, such as food scraps, used oil, discarded computers, or other electronic items
What this does not say

This is not a prediction about your job

Nobody surveyed an employer. Tasks are counted equally, so a percentage here is a share of the list rather than a share of your week. And the ratings were made in 2023, which makes every figure a floor rather than a ceiling.

It must never be used to select anyone for redundancy. The full limits are here.

Where to go next

This is the standard task list for the title. The useful next question is which of the tasks you actually do should go near AI, and which should not.

Sort your own tasks Read the full report

Exposure ratings from Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock, GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs, Science 384, 1306–1308, 2024, used under the MIT licence. This page includes information from the O*NET Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. People Team AI has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Employment figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.