Waste Education & Engagement Coordinator

Who We Are & What We Stand For

Do you want to help make Gateshead a place where everyone thrives? If that sounds like you, keep reading - we might be the perfect match.

We’re delighted that you’re interested in working with us. You’d be joining us at a very exciting time.

We pride ourselves on our ambitious and forward-thinking approach to taking care of Gateshead and its people, and we passionately believe that our employees reflect that spirit in truly enabling Gateshead to thrive.

At Gateshead Council you’d be a highly valued member of a team that recognises and respects the skills that you bring to your role, encourages creativity and passionately advocates a great work / life balance. Our actions speak louder than words, and with flexi-time and hybrid working available across many of our roles, as well as a full suite of outstanding employee benefits, we’re confident that it isn’t just the salary that attracts our staff.

The Highways & Waste team are responsible for ensuring that Gateshead is a safe and attractive place in which people can live, work and spend free time. From waste strategy, including collection and recycling to the maintenance of our highways and street lighting. You’ve probably also noticed significant investment in the restoration of the Tyne Bridge, and our Highways team continue to play a pivotal role in that restoration project of a local landmark.

We are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated Waste Education and Engagement Coordinator to play a key role in improving recycling across the borough. This is an exciting opportunity to work directly with residents and communities to raise awareness of recycling services, encourage positive behaviour change, and help reduce the amount of waste sent for disposal. By supporting residents to recycle more effectively, reduce contamination, and make best use of existing services such as food waste, paper, and garden waste collections, the role will contribute to improved environmental outcomes and deliver real financial savings for the Council through lower disposal costs and increased recycling income.

• Identify areas within Gateshead where contamination of recycling is taking place
• Interrogate existing data held in Bartec to support the identification of areas requiring intervention
• Carry out targeted doorstepping and facetoface engagement with residents to explain the service, including the use of surveys
• Ability to work outside normal working hours to engage with different sections of the community
• Monitor and target areas where recyclable materials are present in residual waste, contamination levels are high, or paper tonnages are low
• Provide a coordinated approach to encourage positive actions and reengage householders who may have become complacent, such as ordering recycling containers
• Undertake return visits to households to check progress, provide further advice, and educate residents using interactive techniques, including examining bin contents with the householder
• Comply with all relevant Health and Safety requirements and Council policies and procedures
• Assist with communications campaigns, including the production and design of recycling information, leaflet drops, roadshows, and attendance at key events and residents’ groups
• Work closely with key staff within recycling services to develop an integrated approach
• Support the WEEE recycling improvement project
• Support green waste collections and encourage resident participation in the scheme
• Respond to resident queries in a professional and timely manner
• Undertake maintenance and repair of residual and recycling bins to provide refurbished, reusable, and serviceable bins
• Promote battery recycling through designated return points
• Work alongside partner agencies, private housing associations, and ethnic groups to promote and encourage recycling
• Assist with the delivery of bins
• Respond to allocated case files from GOSS
• Support wider environmental awareness initiatives, including dog fouling, litter, and flytipping

• Category C1 Licence (ability to drive up to 7.5
  
  Tonne vehicles).
• Valid Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC).
• Communicating…