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AI exposure Transportation and material moving

Will AI replace refuse and recyclable material collectors?

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors. US occupation 53-7081.

0.0%

of the time refuse and recyclable material collectors spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of refuse and recyclable material collectors' working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.

Ranked 346 of 756 US occupations. No AI use seen in the work yet, along with 410 other occupations.No handover started yet, along with 410 other occupations.

Average US job 7.7%

Among the least exposed jobs there are.Still waiting for liberation.

What AI already does for refuse and recyclable material collectorsWhat refuse and recyclable material collectors no longer do alone

O*NET lists 14 tasks for refuse and recyclable material collectors. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

14 of the 14 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Check road or weather conditions to determine how routes will be affected.Core task
  • Clean trucks or compactor bodies after routes have been completed.Core task
  • Communicate with dispatchers concerning delays, unsafe sites, accidents, equipment breakdowns, or other maintenance problems.Core task
  • Dismount garbage trucks to collect garbage and remount trucks to ride to the next collection point.Core task
  • Drive trucks, following established routes, through residential streets or alleys or through business or industrial areas.Core task
  • Dump refuse or recyclable materials at disposal sites.Core task
Show the other 8
  • Fill out defective equipment reports.Core task
  • Inspect trucks prior to beginning routes to ensure safe operating condition.Core task
  • Operate automated or semi-automated hoisting devices that raise refuse bins and dump contents into openings in truck bodies.Core task
  • Operate equipment that compresses collected refuse.Core task
  • Refuel trucks or add other fluids, such as oil or brake fluid.Core task
  • Make special pickups of recyclable materials, such as food scraps, used oil, discarded computers, or other electronic items.
  • Organize schedules for refuse collection.
  • Tag garbage or recycling containers to inform customers of problems, such as excess garbage or inclusion of items that are not permitted.

How that compares

Among the 44 transportation and material moving occupations, refuse and recyclable material collectors rank 34. The group averages 0.6%, and its most exposed job is Passenger Attendants at 11.7%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Level with 0.0%

  1. 346Recreational Therapists 0.0%
  2. 346Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians 0.0%
  3. 346Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons 0.0%

What this does and does not mean

Exposure is observed use, not a forecast. Anthropic maps work conversations with Claude onto the tasks O*NET lists for each job and asks, of the tasks AI could speed up, which are actually being used for at work. A use that does the task outright counts in full and a use that assists a person counts half. The task scores are averaged into the occupation figure by the share of time spent on each task.

A high figure means AI is already part of how this work gets done. It does not mean anyone has been replaced. Anthropic's own reading of the labour market finds no systematic rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting exposed jobs.No measurable rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting these jobs. Gap years for everyone. Labor market impacts, 5 March 2026.

Task list and titles from O*NET 31.0 by the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Scores from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Checked 1 November 2026. How the ranking works.