As seen in Waste Advantage, February 2026
In the waste and recycling industry, factors beyond day-to-day operational demands are playing a growing role in workforce strategy. Looking back at 2025, it is clear that external pressures are affecting how companies approach labor. These pressures influence hiring, training, and retention. As operators prepare for 2026, many of these challenges are likely to remain. Technological advancements will continue to reshape labor needs, and employee attrition will remain a focus for operators.
Jeffrey Bailey, VP of Sales
Jeffrey Bailey, Leadpoint Business Service’s Vice President of Sales, emphasizes that as employee expectations rise and the regulatory landscape continues to evolve, labor planning has become a critical component of long-term operational success. In an unpredictable industry with a tight labor market, companies are taking a more deliberate approach to recruiting and workforce planning by assessing workforce needs, defining necessary skill sets, and structuring staffing models to meet future demands.
What were the biggest labor trends your team observed in the waste and recycling sector throughout 2025?
In 2025, we observed increased competition for frontline labor driven by a shrinking, more contested talent pool, particularly in MRFs and polymer operations. Logistics, distribution, and light manufacturing employers, many of them highly automated and well capitalized, continued to expand and compete for workers in the same local labor markets as recycling facilities. These employers often offer comparable or higher starting wages, more predictable schedules, climate-controlled environments, and work that is perceived as less physically demanding.
Simultaneously, technological advancements in these sectors have streamlined onboarding for entry-level workers, accelerating hiring and drawing candidates away from traditional recycling roles. The result is that MRFs and polymer facilities are no longer solely competing within the waste industry for labor. They are now competing with some of the most efficient and aggressive labor consumers in the broader industrial economy. This has significantly tightened the available workforce and increased expectations around pay, schedules, and working conditions.
Overall interest in general labor and physically demanding roles has declined, leaving a much smaller talent pool than what we saw five to 10 years ago. We have found this to be especially true for CDL drivers and frontline operations staff.
Did you see major shifts in hiring volume across collection, MRF operations, helpers, or general labor roles?
Collection and hauling hiring demand stayed strong throughout 2025. We expect this trend to continue in 2026. While some haulers have invested in modernizing their fleets, many still rely heavily on route helpers on the back of rear-load trucks, especially for bulk-heavy or tight-access routes.
Technology innovations have reduced some of the pressure on sorter headcount in certain facilities. However, this investment has been offset by higher expectations regarding quality and uptime. Previous sorter positions have been reassigned to roles in quality control and general facility utility.
Which roles are the hardest to fill right now—and why?
One of the most significant challenges we are hearing from our hauling customers nationwide is the ongoing shortage of CDL drivers. CDL drivers are in high demand across nearly every sector, creating intense competition for these roles. Pipeline succession has proven to be a successful strategy.
To combat this persisting shortage, many of our partners have successfully leveraged Leadpoint’s onsite recruitment pipeline and transitioned experienced Leadpoint route helpers into CDL roles. Individuals who have spent a substantial amount of time working on the back of a rear-load truck often demonstrate strong operational awareness, reliability, and a clear understanding of hauling workflows. These attributes make them excellent candidates for career progression and well-positioned to take advantage of the advancement opportunities our customers offer.
What hiring strategies proved most effective for your team in 2025?
A few strategies stand out as I look back on 2025. Leadpoint focuses on targeting candidates within a tight radius of the facilities/sites we support (most times between 6 and 10 miles). We’ve observed that employee commutes have a strong tie to retention—proximity to the site is key.
Another effective strategy we employ across all our sites is a realistic job preview during the interview process. Sharing videos about company culture, honest job descriptions, and in-person walkthroughs of the day-to-day tasks helps align job expectations upfront and reduces early-stage churn.
Finally, candidates prefer a simple, personalized application process. We have achieved success by offering a short, user-friendly, and mobile-friendly application. Resumes are no longer required for general labor roles. We also make scheduling easy and flexible to fit candidates’ availability. Our goal is to help candidates complete the process quickly and start working sooner.
What retention challenges did your clients struggle with the most?
Time to hire and employee reliability are two common challenges our clients face. Filling open positions internally often takes four to six weeks. This is consistent across all roles, including general labor. Extended hiring timelines can make it challenging to maintain consistent workforce levels and respond quickly to operational needs.
Shorter hiring timelines benefit both candidates and employers. A streamlined process minimizes delays between the application and the employee’s start date. It also helps ensure positions are filled quickly as workforce gaps occur. In our experience, candidates can often complete the application and hiring process within 24 to 48 hours and be ready to work shortly after.
What role will workforce partners play in addressing 2026 workforce challenges? Outsourced workforce partners can move from being viewed as peripheral vendors to trusted partners within the operating model of waste and recycling companies. Workforce partners play a critical role in reducing labor risk by absorbing most of the volatile, resource-intensive functions. In a tight, increasingly unpredictable labor market, this is a key advantage. Beyond managing recruiting, screening, onboarding, and compliance, they also take on much of the safety and turnover burden that operators traditionally manage internally.
Just as importantly, workforce partners can serve as both a signal system and a shock absorber for customers navigating rising wages, regulatory shifts, automation-driven role changes, and regional labor fluctuations. This gives operators the ability to adjust staffing, pay, and scheduling strategies without constantly rebuilding internal HR and recruiting capabilities.
Looking ahead to 2026, what external pressures do you see having a significant impact on labor needs across the waste and recycling industry?
We are monitoring how regulatory and sustainability pressures, particularly EPR expansion, organics mandates, and contamination reduction targets, translate into labor demand. These policies increase the need for quality control, documentation, and process discipline, all of which require a more stable and better-trained workforce.
If you could give operators one piece of advice heading into 2026, what would it be?
Outsourcing portions of your frontline workforce can feel uncomfortable. Some operators may feel it means giving up control or acknowledging operational strain. In reality, partnering with a trusted and proven labor provider can be a strategic advantage. The right partner absorbs the daily challenges of recruiting, staffing, and workforce management, allowing managers and operators to redirect their time and energy towards delivering exceptional customer results and driving operational performance. Labor markets will likely tighten as we move into 2026. Working with a reliable workforce partner can strengthen operational stability and enhance overall productivity.
Jeffrey Bailey is VP of Sales for Leadpoint and can be reached at (602) 431-0410, e-mail jeffrey.bailey@leadpointusa.com, or visit https://leadpointusa.com.