Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Waste Recycling Analyst

🎯 Role Definition

This role requires a Waste Recycling Analyst to lead data-driven recycling and waste diversion initiatives across municipal, commercial, and industrial programs. The ideal candidate will combine hands-on experience with waste characterization and MRF operations, strong quantitative skills (SQL, Excel, Python/R), and the ability to translate technical insights into implementable strategies that increase recycling rates, reduce contamination, and drive cost-effective, sustainable outcomes. This role reports to the Recycling or Sustainability Manager and partners closely with operations, procurement, public outreach, and regulatory teams to optimize material flows and measure program performance.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Recycling Technician or Route Supervisor
Environmental Technician / Environmental Analyst I
Sustainability Coordinator or Zero Waste Coordinator

Advancement To:

Senior Waste Recycling Analyst / Senior Sustainability Analyst
Waste Diversion Manager or MRF Operations Manager
Director of Recycling, Sustainability Director, or Circular Economy Program Lead

Lateral Moves:

Sustainability Analyst (corporate sustainability)
Operations Analyst (solid waste or municipal operations)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Plan, design and execute comprehensive waste characterization studies and waste audits across residential, commercial, and industrial sites to quantify material streams, contamination rates, and diversion potential, producing detailed methodology documentation and statistically valid results.
Analyze monthly and annual tonnage, material composition, and revenue/cost trends using SQL, Excel, and business intelligence tools (Tableau/Power BI) to calculate recycling rates, capture rates, and diversion metrics; prepare executive dashboards and actionable recommendations.
Model material flows through the circular economy by mapping sources, collection systems, MRF processing stages, end-market pathways, and final disposition to identify choke points and opportunities to increase recovery and market value.
Design, scope and manage pilot recycling and organics collection programs — including pilot selection, vendor procurement, route planning, KPI definition, sample collection, data analysis, and recommendations for scalable implementation.
Conduct lifecycle assessment (LCA) and carbon impact modeling for recycling and waste management scenarios using tools such as SimaPro or GREET to quantify greenhouse gas reductions, energy savings, and sustainability co-benefits.
Develop and maintain a centralized waste and recycling data repository, including tonnage reconciliations, contamination tracking, invoice and revenue reconciliation, and reconciliation of scalehouse/MRF data with collection manifests.
Prepare clear, persuasive technical reports, grant proposals, and funding applications (state, federal, and foundation grants) that summarize findings, ROI, and expected environmental and financial outcomes to secure program resources.
Evaluate and manage third-party contracts and service providers (haulers, MRF operators, processors), perform performance audits, audit invoices, and recommend contract adjustments based on KPI performance and market conditions.
Lead contamination reduction initiatives, including material-specific outreach, feedback loops with collection crews and MRF operators, signage and label design, and measurement of contamination rate improvements over time.
Design and implement data collection protocols for route-level collection metrics, onboard sensors or weigh-scale telemetry, and standardize data ingestion pipelines to improve accuracy of operational and financial forecasting.
Conduct end-market assessments and due diligence for recovered materials (paper, cardboard, plastics, metals, organics) including quality specifications, pricing trends, and logistics to maximize revenue and minimize residue and rejection rates.
Create cost-benefit and ROI analyses comparing recycling, composting, anaerobic digestion, incineration and landfilling alternatives to inform capital investments and program design decisions.
Supervise and train field staff, interns, and cross-functional teams on best practices for sample collection, contamination identification, safety protocols, and consistent data recording methods at the MRF and on collection routes.
Coordinate permitting and regulatory compliance activities related to recycling facilities, transfer stations, composting operations, and hazardous or special waste streams; maintain awareness of local, state and federal solid waste regulations.
Optimize collection and processing operations by analyzing route optimization, container deployment, collection frequency, and MRF throughput to recommend operational changes that reduce costs and increase diversion.
Develop and maintain key performance indicators (KPIs) and service level agreements (SLAs) for recycling programs, create automated reporting systems, and present monthly/quarterly performance reviews to senior leadership and council/board stakeholders.
Lead stakeholder engagement and public communications campaigns — working with communications teams to create targeted messaging, school outreach, community events, and educational resources to improve participation and material quality.
Coordinate and implement improvements to MRF sorting lines, quality control stations, and residue handling workflows by collaborating with engineering teams and vendors to increase recovery rates and minimize downtime.
Investigate and resolve data anomalies, scale discrepancies, or contractual billing disputes by cross-referencing manifests, scale logs, and GPS/route data and recommending process changes to prevent recurrence.
Forecast future material volumes and revenue scenarios using historical trends, demographic and economic indicators, and policy changes (e.g., extended producer responsibility or packaging laws) to inform budgeting and procurement.
Manage RFPs and procurement activities for processing, hauling, equipment, and analytics services — draft scopes of work, evaluate proposals, lead vendor interviews, and negotiate contract terms to align performance incentives with diversion outcomes.
Collaborate with procurement and finance teams to develop transparent cost allocation models for waste and recycling services, perform life-cycle cost analysis, and recommend rate structure changes or cost recovery strategies.
Develop and maintain emergency response and contingency plans for disruptions in processing markets, MRF outages, extreme weather events, or contamination-related MRF shutdowns to maintain service continuity and regulatory compliance.
Apply statistical and geospatial analysis (GIS) to identify neighborhood-level participation patterns, optimize drop-off site locations, and support targeted interventions to increase capture and reduce illegal dumping.
Monitor industry trends, emerging recycling technologies (chemical recycling, advanced sorting, AI vision systems), and policy shifts to inform strategic planning and recommend pilot or capital investments aligned with organizational goals.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Support development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for audits, data ingestion, and field sampling to ensure repeatability and defensible results.
Provide subject-matter expertise to procurement, operations, and communications teams during cross-departmental initiatives and capital project planning.
Represent the organization at industry conferences, regulatory workshops, community meetings and technical advisory groups to share best practices and build partnerships.
Provide backup support for scalehouse operations, field inspections, and quality control checks during peak periods or staff shortages.
Mentor junior analysts and interns on data tools, statistical methods, and industry-specific practices to build internal capacity.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Advanced Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, advanced formulas, Power Query) for reconciliation and financial modeling.
SQL for querying operational databases, scalehouse records, and ingestion pipelines.
Experience with data visualization tools (Tableau, Power BI, or Looker) to build dashboards and automated reports.
Programming for analytics (Python or R) including libraries for data cleaning, statistical analysis, and time-series forecasting.
GIS skills (ArcGIS or QGIS) for mapping collection routes, transfer stations, and participation heatmaps.
Waste characterization and sampling methodology expertise, including statistically valid sample design and contamination analysis.
Materials recovery facility (MRF) operations knowledge — sorting technologies, line configurations, throughput calculations and quality control.
Lifecycle assessment (LCA) and carbon accounting experience using SimaPro, GaBi, or comparable tools, or familiarity with GHG Protocol.
Familiarity with solid waste regulatory frameworks and permitting (RCRA basics, state solid waste regulations, EPR/producer responsibility policies).
Experience with ERP/accounting systems, billing reconciliation, and contract performance auditing.
Statistical analysis and hypothesis testing, regression modeling, and time-series analysis for trend detection and forecasting.
Experience managing RFP processes, vendor evaluation, and contract negotiation specific to hauling and processing services.
Knowledge of market dynamics for secondary materials and end-market specifications for commodities (fiber, PET, HDPE, metals, organics).

Soft Skills

Excellent written and verbal communication — ability to present technical findings to non-technical stakeholders and elected officials.
Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills with vendors, municipalities, and community groups.
Project management proficiency, including the ability to manage multiple pilots and capital projects with competing deadlines.
Analytical mindset and critical thinking with a focus on data integrity and actionable insights.
Problem-solving orientation and ability to drive continuous improvement in operations.
Attention to detail and high standards for data accuracy and documentation.
Facilitation and training skills to lead workshops, community outreach, and staff development sessions.
Adaptability and resilience in a fast-changing policy and commodity market landscape.
Negotiation skills for contract terms, service levels and dispute resolution.
Leadership and mentoring capabilities to grow junior staff and cross-functional teams.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Sustainability, Resource Management, Environmental Policy, or a closely related field.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree in Environmental Engineering, Sustainable Systems, Waste Management, Environmental Science, Industrial Ecology, or MBA with a sustainability focus.
Professional certifications such as LEED, PMP, or Certified Recycling Professional are a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Environmental Science
Environmental / Civil / Chemical Engineering
Sustainability / Resource Management
Public Policy with environmental emphasis
Industrial Ecology / Materials Science

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2–5 years of progressive experience in waste management, recycling program analysis, MRF operations, or environmental data analytics.

Preferred:

5+ years of experience with demonstrated success leading recycling pilots, MRF audits, vendor management, and quantitative analysis.
Experience working with municipal or commercial recycling programs, grant-funded projects, and cross-functional implementation teams.
Proven track record of improving diversion rates, reducing contamination, or optimizing material markets.