Do you want to become a Materials Reclamation Officer? Here is some information to help point you in the right direction:
Job Description - 
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Materials reclamation officers salvage materials from industrial, commercial and private establishments. They collect, buy, and sell scrap materials including machinery, metals, wood, rags, newspapers, tyres and packaging. Scrap can be obtained from many sources including:
· buildings which are being knocked down
· items left over from auction and jumble sales
· old cars, selling on spare parts and cutting or crushing waste metal
· house-to-house collections
· office and house clearances
· municipal tips.
Materials are taken back to a scrap yard to be sorted into the various categories in which they can be used or sold. These may include:
· scrap metal for use in furnaces in the steel manufacturing industry
· scrap plastic for recycling
· damaged vehicle and machinery parts reconditioned for re-use
· electronic waste for dismantling
· second-hand clothes sent to developing countries
· paper and glass sent for recycling.
Workers dealing in scrap form part of the growing recycling industry.
Salaries of reclamation officers range from £12,000 to £50,000 a year.
A materials reclamation officer should:
· be physically strong
· be hardworking
· have good bargaining and negotiating skills
· have a knowledge of materials and recycling.
There are a few large scrap contractors engaged in recycling metals, glass, paper and fabrics. There are also many jobs with small local firms and some materials reclamation officers are self-employed. With the increasing emphasis on re-cycling, the importance of scrap merchants and dealers will increase.
No formal academic qualifications are needed to work as a materials reclamation officer. A new entrant starts as an assistant to a dealer, and gains on-the-job experience. There is normally no age limit although operators of certain cutting and crushing machines must be over 18 years old.
An NVQ/SVQ Level 2 in Community Recycling is available.
With further experience and training, reclamation officers can progress to supervisory or managerial roles.
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