Garbage and Recycling Collectors: Jobs in Demand in Europe (2025)
Garbage and Recycling Collectors is an official occupation group (ISCO-08 code 9611) used by the International Labour Organization and Eurostat.
- Dustman/woman
- Recycling collector
- Refuse collector
Latest garbage and recycling collectors job ads
Real vacancies from the official public employment services, updated daily. Job titles are translated into English automatically; the full ad opens on the official site in German or Swedish (your browser's translate button turns it into English).
Germany
266 open ads- Waste collector
German title: Müllwerker
persona service AG & Co.KG Niederlassung Hanau · Hanau · Posted 2026-10-13 - Waste collector
German title: Müllwerker
Arena Personal Management GmbH - Niederlassung Ludwigshafen · Speyer · Posted 2026-10-16 - Waste collector
German title: Müllwerker
Seger Recycling und Transporte GmbH & Co. KG · Salz bei Bad Neustadt an der Saale · Posted 2026-10-16 - Waste collector
German title: Müllwerker
iperdi HL GmbH - Niederlassung Lübeck · Bad Segeberg · Posted 2026-10-16 - Waste collector
German title: Müllwerker
iperdi HL GmbH - Niederlassung Heide · Heide, Holstein · Posted 2026-10-16 - Waste collector
German title: Müllwerkerin
Stadtverwaltung Konstanz · Konstanz · Posted 2026-10-16
Source: Bundesagentur für Arbeit (German Federal Employment Agency). Ads are written by employers; Placeivo does not check them. See all ads in Germany
Sweden
75 open ads- Veterans for snow shoveling missions in Västerås!
Swedish title: Veteraner till snöskottningsuppdrag i Västerås!
Veterankraft AB · Västerås · Posted 2026-10-16 - Snow shoveling in Ängelholm and the surrounding area
Swedish title: Snöskottning i Ängelholm med omnejd
Logent Bemanning AB · Ängelholm · Posted 2026-10-16 - Garbage truck driver wanted!
Swedish title: Sopbilschaufför sökes!
Kumla kommun · Kumla · Posted 2026-10-16 - Hourly substitute for recycling centres
Swedish title: Timvikarie till återvinningscentralerna
Karlstads Energi Aktiebolag · Karlstad · Posted 2026-10-15 - Environmental worker Örebro
Swedish title: Miljöarbetare Örebro
PreZero Recycling AB · Örebro · Posted 2026-10-15 - Environmental worker Rosersberg
Swedish title: Miljöarbetare Rosersberg
PreZero Recycling AB · Sigtuna · Posted 2026-10-15
Source: Arbetsförmedlingen (Swedish Public Employment Service). Ads are written by employers; Placeivo does not check them. See all ads in Sweden
Where garbage and recycling collectors are needed in Europe
| Country | EURES 2025 | Average gross pay, all workers in elementary occupations (2022) | 1-bed rent in the capital |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulgaria | Shortage | €488 a month | Sofia: €650 |
| Czechia | Shortage | €952 a month | Prague: €1,250 |
| Germany | Shortage | €2,150 a month | Berlin: €1,350 |
| Italy | Shortage | €1,850 a month * | Rome: €1,300 |
| Latvia | Shortage | €908 a month | Riga: €870 |
| Netherlands | Shortage | €1,983 a month | Not yet verified |
| Romania | Shortage | €720 a month * | Not yet verified |
| Slovakia | Shortage | €910 a month | Bratislava: €910 |
| Hungary | Shortage and surplus | €683 a month * | Budapest: €910 |
| Austria | Surplus | €2,243 a month * | Vienna: €1,250 |
| Belgium | Surplus | €2,924 a month * | Brussels: €1,150 |
| Finland | Surplus | €2,454 a month * | Helsinki: €1,150 |
| Greece | Surplus | €1,130 a month * | Athens: €1,150 |
| Luxembourg | Surplus | €2,963 a month * | Luxembourg: €1,900 |
Pay: Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey 2022, mean gross monthly earnings of all workers in elementary occupations in each country, in euros. This is the average for the whole occupation group, not for garbage and recycling collectors alone, and before tax. * Firms with 10 or more employees only. Rent: Eurostat, good-quality 1-bedroom flat in the capital, 2025.
What garbage and recycling collectors do
Garbage collectors collect and remove rubbish and items for recycling from buildings, yards, streets and other places.
Typical tasks
- Collecting rubbish and recyclable materials and locating it into bins and garbage and recycling trucks
- Riding on or in garbage and recycling trucks
- Lifting garbage bins and emptying contents into trucks and larger containers
- Unloading garbage and recycling trucks
Finding garbage and recycling collectors jobs in Europe
- EURES is the official job portal of the EU public employment services. The search above looks for "Recycling collector".
- Some jobs are regulated professions: before you can work, your qualification may need to be recognised in the new country.
- If you are not an EU/EEA citizen you will usually need a work permit or a visa such as the EU Blue Card. Check the rules of the country's immigration authority.
Cost of living where the jobs are
Take-home pay needed to rent a good 1-bedroom flat in the capitals of countries reporting a shortage:
About this data
- Shortage and surplus: European Labour Authority, EURES Report on labour shortages and surpluses 2025, annex table 21 (published 2026). Each country's public employment service reports which occupations it finds hard to fill or in oversupply. Countries not listed did not report this occupation as either.
- Definition, tasks and job titles: International Labour Organization, ISCO-08 structure and definitions.
- Pay: Eurostat, Structure of Earnings Survey 2022 (earn_ses22_48), by occupation group.
- Job ads: Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Germany) and Arbetsförmedlingen (Sweden), refreshed about once a day.