Zero Waste Specialist I | Waste Busters | Richmond + SF and CA
Classification: Part-Time or Full-Time, non-exempt
Compensation: $22.50/hr -$30/hr
Health Benefits: None for Part-Time, Full-Time employees have access to employer sponsored health plans including dental and chiropractic options
Other Benefits: EAP, 401k with matching after 1 year
Salaried/Hourly: Hourly
Hours: 20-30 hours / week, year-round
Schedule: Mostly 5-6 days in a row, Variable, (Exact time vary)
Location: Richmond office at 1301 S. 46th St. B154 Richmond, CA 94804 As well as various locations throughout SF and CA. Frequently in San Francisco at client properties.
Licenses/Certificates: none
Reports to: Waste Busters, Inc. Zero Waste Program Manager
______________
Program Description
Waste Busters is a professional recycling services provider, in business since 2008, working to support moving the needle towards the goal of Zero Waste. Our team is composted of passionate environmentalists willing to get their hands dirty to make a difference. Our services help protect the climate, land and water while helping our clients improve their environmental performance as we help San Francisco get closer to its Zero Waste Goal.
Our company provides expertise and resources to a variety of clients, public and private, in support of the goal of Zero Waste. Our Zero Waste programs include Zero Waste Facilitation (ZWF) and waste characterization activities, outreach education and waste steam auditing.
The Waste Busters Zero Waste Facilitation Program supports permanent business locations and properties that generate high volumes of waste by ensuring users are properly informed and that materials are properly sorted and managed. Our team provides professional waste
sorting services. In addition to sorting materials for maximum recycling and compost diversion, our team members document ongoing issues, program data and/or photos and communicate with customers and the public.
Job Summary
The Zero Waste Specialist I performs the work of field-level operations for Waste Buster’s Zero Waste Facilitation and Waste Characterization Programs. The Zero Waste Specialist will assist clients including public agencies, other consultants, property management companies and waste haulers in implementing our programs at various waste-generating or processing sites.
The Zero Waste Specialist works field shifts as scheduled at Zero Waste Facilitation Program client sites, ensuring that materials are being properly sorted, documenting observations in our database, performing all work professionally and effectively. The Zero Waste Specialist acts as the point of contact between Waste Busters and many stakeholders, such as clients and building tenant’s staff, regular users of waste management areas.
The Zero Waste Specialist I will have job duties pertaining to the Zero Waste Facilitation Program, as well as occasional special project duties. The ideal candidate will be confident in their ability to:
- Document issues found including data entry on a mobile device • Sorting and investigation of waste
- Communicate and provide education to users
- Providing an excellent experience to our customers
- Solve problems creatively and resourcefully
The Zero Waste Specialist will be responsible for maintaining contamination-free waste disposal stations and educating users on proper sorting practices according to our Standard Operating Procedures for each site and or situation.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Including but not limited to:
Zero Waste Facilitation Program Implementation (constant – more than 50% of time): Removing materials from dumpsters; opening and sorting bags of discards into appropriate waste streams; communicating proper sorting practices to restaurant and store employees; dumping bins and bags into dumpsters; Performing periodic waste assessments; Occasionally entering dumpsters as needed; Use of smartphone to enter photos and data into an app based database.
Education and Outreach (frequent – around 25% of time): Attend and review workshops and training materials from Waste Busters to master knowledge of recycling and composting systems, administer and develop educational presentations for clients and their tenants; Enforce safety rules and regulations; learn best practices; participate in safety trainings and other training; administer trainings developed with Waste Busters; act as a courteous professional and demonstrate appropriate work ethics, behavior, and skills, both internally and externally.
Quality Control (constant – more than 66% of time): Ensuring the sorted material is uniform and free from cross-contamination, accurate hand sorting of waste materials, periodic visual checks ensuring appropriate destination of materials is part of the job. Being highly observant is crucial in maintaining accurate data collection as well as maintaining the safety of you and your team. Proactively prioritizing safety and alerting supervisor/management of observed unsafe situations or practices is essential.
Waste Characterization and Waste Auditing (occasional – around 15% of time): Workers on this team will be responsible for the efficient and accurate hand sorting of MSW and other waste streams at designated waste transfer stations or landfill locations across Northern California and nation-wide for special projects. This may include: travel and arriving to hotels the night before work days, being ready on-time, meeting the crew, carpooling to and clocking in onsite, on time and ready to work. The Zero Waste Program Manager or WC lead will direct work and is responsible for your orientation, timing of breaks, lunch, end time each day and the general workflow each day.
Typical Working Conditions: Generally the environment is that of a loading dock for ZWF work or landfills/waste transfer stations for WC work, on concrete, often mostly or partially indoors, or at least under shade in certain situations. The some environments can be noisy, dusty and possibly odorous. Always, but especially when heavy equipment is present, situational awareness is paramount. Typical working conditions include but are not limited to strenuous and frequent lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling; frequent twisting, turning, and reaching; occasionally working long hours/weeks to accomplish WC targets. ZWF shifts tend to be shorter and less strenuous.
Office work and other administrative duties will be done at the Waste Busters Richmond Office, 1301 S 46th St B154, Richmond, CA.
Equipment Used
This position requires use of safety equipment including gloves, safety vests, and closed toed safety shoes. The program often employs rolling carts that can weigh upwards of 200 pounds when full.
This position requires a smartphone in good working order, preferably Apple iPhone but we are platform agnostic. See below
This position requires access to a computer and a method of reliable transportation.
Minimum Education, Experience, and Skills Required:
High school diploma or GED.
Strong English comprehension, speaking and reading.
Basic knowledge of Zero Waste, recycling, and/or resource conservation. Demonstrated interest in waste management, recycling, conservation, or other environmental sustainability related field.
Demonstrated ability to give direction regarding safety and to implement safety procedures.
Being a pleasure to work with and giving people good experiences makes our service stand out and builds customer satisfaction, compliance with waste diversion programs and positive outcomes to our initiatives.
Flexibility to travel on and work some weekends or special project schedules and to accommodate a fixed regular schedule.
Ability to lift 50 lbs.
Desire to divert material from landfill and solve sometimes difficult waste management solutions with the objective of reducing waste and properly managing generated waste.
Basic computer/software use and devices: An online website portal and mobile phone app is our primary mode of communicating job assignments, clocking in and out, requesting shifts, and other work related tasks and documents. A smartphone is essential, as clocking in and out are done on the app (Android or iOS). We also require the use of other apps and a camera (12+mp) for most shifts.
