How to become a recycler and dismantler
Official title: Recycler and dismantler
Also called: Resource recovery operator, Scrap yard operator, Wrecker
Recyclers and dismantlers prepare, sort and dismantle materials or products for recycling.
Main tasks
- Prepare materials and products for recycling
- Sort glass, metal and plastic
- Operate recycling machines and equipment
- Load recycling machines and equipment
- Record materials recycled
- Repair machines and equipment
- Drive forklifts to move heavy materials
- Keep the work area clean and safe
How to become one
You usually learn on the job to become a recycler and dismantler and experience may be useful. You usually don’t need specific NCEA levels for this job. Other requirements: experience in similar work; a driver licence with a forklift endorsement; a New Zealand Certificate in Resource Recovery (Level 2); a New Zealand Certificate in Resource Recovery (Level 3); a New Zealand Certificate in Resource Recovery (Level 4).
Pay · Past change
- Most common pay: $51,000 to $81,000 a year (median $62,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
- Upper: $108,000 a year
- TEC shows pay for this job by the hour: median $29.81 an hour.
- TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
- Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Decrease (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
Who does this work
- About 760 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
Related jobs
- Clothing and textile presser
- Cleaning and washing equipment operator
- Recycling coordinator
- Vehicle groomer and cleaner
Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz
Questions people ask
How do I become a recycler and dismantler?
You usually learn on the job to become a recycler and dismantler and experience may be useful. You usually don’t need specific NCEA levels for this job. Other requirements: experience in similar work; a driver licence with a forklift endorsement; a New Zealand Certificate in Resource Recovery (Level 2); a New Zealand Certificate in Resource Recovery (Level 3); a New Zealand Certificate in Resource Recovery (Level 4).
How much does a recycler and dismantler earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $62,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $51,000 to $81,000 a year.
Has the number of people working as a recycler and dismantler grown in New Zealand?
It has shrunk: TEC records a decrease in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.
Sources
- Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.
Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.
This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.
Includes information from O*NET OnLine 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. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.
These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Updated 4 October 2026