Qualifications
You don't need an advanced degree, or even necessarily a college degree, to run a recycling plant. But they certainly help.
If you do get a degree to fulfill your lifelong dream of managing a recycling facility, the ones to aim for are a master's in business administration, industrial engineering, or something else related to waste management. If not the degree, you'll definitely need lots of experience in the industry. Of course, you're best off with the combination of master's degree and experience.
The most important personality trait is to be obsessed with safety. You read the part about whirling metal teeth, right? Well, if you're going to keep everyone safe from those, you should be thinking about this stuff daily.
Most places will prefer you to be proficient in Spanish. So if you were raised in a bilingual household, you're all set. Everyone else, get good grades in Spanish class and watch some telenovelas to practice.