Emily Raij - Garbage Collectors

Jobs People Do

Garbage

Collectors

by Emily Raij

Pebble Explore is published by Pebble, an imprint of Capstone.1710 Roe Crest DriveNorth Mankato, Minnesota 56003www.capstonepub.com

Copyright 2021 by Capstone. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Raij, Emily, author. Title: Garbage collectors / Emily Raij. Description: North Mankato : Pebble, 2020. | Series: Jobs people do |

Includes index. | Audience: Ages 68 | Summary: Do you hear that? Its a garbage truck! Learn all about being a garbage collector. Readers will get the inside scoop on the different parts of the job, the machines garbage collectors use, and how people get this exciting job Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019052607 (print) | LCCN 2019052608 (ebook) | ISBN

9781977123480 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781977126641 (paperback) | ISBN 9781977123541 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9781977147646 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Sanitation workersJuvenile literature. | Reduce and

reuse disposalJuvenile literature.

Classification: LCC HD8039.S257 R35 2020 (print) | LCC HD8039.S257

(ebook) | DDC 628.4/42023dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019052607LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019052608

Image Credits

Alamy: Cultura Creative, 1, Jim West, 10, Richard Levine, 21; Dreamstime: Auremar, Cover; Getty Images: Carnegie Museum of Art/Teenie Harris Archive/Contributor, 28; iStockphoto: PeopleImages, 12, TexasPixelPro, 5, USGirl, 19, vm, 9; Shutterstock: Africa Studio, 14, Johnny Habell, 15, 17, Joshua Resnick, 7, Kzenon, 13, MAHATHIR MOHD YASIN, 25, MakDill, 20, Nick Beer, 2223, Rob Crandall, 11, SeventyFour, 27, vadim kozlovsky, 26, Yaroslav Sabitov, 8

Editorial Credits

Editor: Gena Chester; Designer: Kyle Grenz; Media Researcher: Jo Miller; Production Specialist: Spencer Rosio

All internet sites appearing in back matter were available and accurate when this book was sent to press.

Table of Contents

Words in bold are in the glossary.

What Is a GarbageCollector?

Yuck! Whats that smell? Its the kitchen trash. The bag is full. Its stinky. It can go in the big trash can outside. Your neighbors put out their cans too. But who picks up all that trash? Who takes it away? Garbage collectors! They keep our neighborhoods clean and safe.

A U.S. family makes about 17 pounds (8 kilograms) of trash each day. That is a lot of garbage! Most trash is paper. Some is food and yard trash. Trash can also be plastic, metal, and glass.

Other trash is too. This helps keep Earth clean.

Where GarbageCollectors Work

Garbage collectors ride in biggarbage trucks. They pick up trash in small towns or big cities. Then they bring the trash to stations.

The trash is taken off the trucks. Then it is weighed. It gets sorted. Other workers pull out things that can be recycled. The garbage is pressed down. This makes it smaller. Now more trash can go to landfills at one time.

Some collectors drive their trucks right to the landfill. They dump thetrash inside. It gets pressed down. Then it is covered with soil.

Recycling is kept apart from trash. It goes in other cans or bins at homes and work. Other collectors pick up recycling.

What GarbageCollectors Do

Garbage collectors may work alone. But they can work in groups of twoor three. One worker drives the truck.

One or two workers ride on the back of the truck. The truck moves slowly through streets. Cars may be parked on the street. The driver has to watch out for cars, people, and animals.

Many collectors do not lift cans.They only drive. They need to remember .

Other trucks have front loaders.Those pick up big dumpsters. They are outside big buildings and businesses.Some trucks have a packer blade. It presses the trash down. That makes room for more trash.

Some trucks do not have rear or front loaders. Some garbage truckshave a .

Other garbage trucks do not havean arm. These trucks need teams of collectors. Garbage collectors pickup the cans. Then they dump it into the truck. Collectors have to get each can. It is hard work. Its smelly too.

Cities have special trash pick-up days. Only some kinds of trash are picked up then. In spring, yard trash is picked up. People fill bags with leaves in fall. They pile up sticks. People set out large items at other times. This includes couches and TVs.

Collectors check that they took all the trash. They pick up any trash that fell into the street. At the end of their day, collectors clean their truck.

Garbage collectors work in all weather. They are out in the heat and cold. Bad weather can make their job harder. It is hard to see in heavy rain. It is hard to drive in heavy snow.

Some garbage trucks havesnowplows. These are like big shovels on the front of trucks. Theyclear the roads. Workers move snow instead of picking up trash. Then roads are safe. Collectors then must work extra. They get the trash that didnt get picked up during the storm.

Garbage collectors work long hours. Some work six days a week. They get trash from all the places on their route. This may take 10 to 18 hours. Some start early in the morning. Others work all night.

The work is . Sharp objects can poke through trash bags. Collectors can get cut. Sometimes garbage flies off the packer blade.Garbage can hit collectors. They alsohave to watch for cars. Collectors could get hit.

Garbage collectors stay safe. They wear special clothes. The clotheshave tape. This helps drivers see workers in the street. Collectors wear gloves. The gloves protect their hands. Boots protecttheir feet.

Some collectors wear hats, goggles, and masks. Hats protect their heads from sunlight. Gogglesprotect their eyes. Masks keep out bad smells.

reflective tape

How to Become aGarbage Collector

Garbage collectors need to finish high school. Some need a special drivers license. Then they can use the truck equipment. City workers may need to take tests. Collectors may need to pass a driving test too.

Safety is very important. Garbage collectors must know how to safely lift heavy cans. Drivers should be safe.They should be good with directions.

Some workers pick up dangerousmaterials. They may find chemicals. Workers must know how to get rid of the materials safely.

Famous GarbageCollectors

Many people made garbage collection easier. George Dempsterchanged how we pick up trash. In 1935, he created the Dempster Dumpster. It could be picked up and emptied easily by machines.

John Arwood started National Garbage Man Day in 2011. It is now called Waste & Recycling Workers Week.

a Dempster Dumpster

Fast Facts

What Garbage Collectors Do:

They keep our communities clean and safe.

Key Types:

truck drivers, garbage collectors, recycling collectors, street sweepers

Key Tools:

mechanical arm, hopper, packer blade, rear loader, sweeper, snowplow

Key Clothes:

gloves, boots, hat, goggles, mask

Education Needed:

high school diploma, sometimes a special drivers license, tests

Famous Garbage Collectors:

George Dempster, John Arwood

Glossary

(DAYN-jur-uhss) likely to cause harm or injury

(i-lek-TRAH-nik) powered by electricity; electricity is a form of energy

(HOP-er) storage area in a garbage truck

(LAND-fil) a place where garbage is buried

(LOHD-er) a machine that lifts and carries loads

(muh-KAN-uh-kuhl) operated by a machine or machinery

(ree-SYE-kuhl) to make used items into new products; people can recycle items such as rubber, glass, plastic, and aluminum