The Waste Management & Recycling Industry compromises of many different tasks and duties which all pose different levels of risk to workers. Whether you are working in waste collection or waste incineration, there are various different products to protect staff whilst working. From cut-resistant work gloves to heat resistant work gloves and protective sleeves; this blog will explore the different protection available to keep workers safe and processes running smoothly!
Waste Collection
As a refuse collector or waste operative, main duties would include transporting and transferring municipal waste from households and waste recycling centres to sorting centres. Whilst this includes sorting, handling, and transferring waste, workers only require a general level of protection, such as one of the Predator Rigger gloves or our Pred Amber… another suitable solution could be our waterproof Pred Atlantic or Pred Baltic for those colder seasons.
Kerbside Collection
Depending on your local council, when recyclable materials are collected from a household, they may be sorted and separated at the roadside. In this scenario, employees will be in contact with various materials, such as plastics, glass, and paper. Because of the risk associated with glass handling, here it would be suitable to wear a level of cut protection.
At Just 1 Source, we have a number of cut-resistant products from cut level C to a maximum cut level F; a selection of which can be seen below:
Municipal Waste Colection
Working at a waste management or sorting plant (a municipal recycling facility), you are likely to have more direct contact with items than in waste collection, having to reach across conveyers to organise waste accordingly, posing a higher risk to workers. In these scenarios it is imperative to wear high-quality certified PPE, which would include our cut level C or higher products, some of which are below:
Pred Power Paws

- Breathable polycotton and Aramid blend liner
- Crinkle latex palm coating for great grip
- Double-dipped fingertips for increased wear properties
- Cut level E under ISO13997
- Contact heat level 2 (upto 250oC) under EN407:2004
Pred Midas

- 18 gauge, nylon, spandex, HPPE and TekArmor™ blend liner
- 360o comprehensive breathability and maximum dexterity
- Revolutionary PolyMAX™ palm coating offering incredible abrasion resistance and durability
- PolyMAX™ absorbs oil and repels water to reduce slips and aid hand-fatigue
- Maximum cut level F under ISO13997
In these applications, it would also be advised to wear protective sleeve to protect the forearm from surrounding hazards – our available options include:
Maintenence Engineers
Responsibilities of Maintenence Engineers varies depending on the type of machinery in question, and maintenance could cover anything from cleaning to replacing parts or assembling.
Here, workers are likely to be doing intricate works requiring great dexterity, possibly requiring a level of cut protection or impact protection. Heavy-duty tasks may require a level of padding and, risk dependant, heat protection may be required.
See below products that we feel would be well suited to Maintenance Engineers, including a touchscreen option for when working with certain machinery.