A
waste collector, also known as a
garbageman,
trashman,
dustman or
binman, is a person employed by a public or private enterprise to collect and dispose of municipal solid waste (refuse) and recyclables from residential, commercial, industrial or other collection sites for further processing and waste disposal. The first known waste collectors were said to come from Britain in the 1350s, coinciding with the Black Plague and were called "rakers." Specialized waste collection vehicles featuring an array of automated functions are often deployed to assist waste collectors in reducing collection and transport time and for protection from exposure. Waste and recycling pickup work is physically demanding and usually exposes workers to an occupational hazard.