Hillingdon Council’s waste and recycling service won the Best Team of the Year Award at this year’s Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee awards (LARAC) which took place on Wednesday 14 October.
The team was rewarded for their innovative work throughout the COVID-19 crisis in keeping staff protected and maintaining weekly collections for residents.
At the height of the pandemic, while some councils suspended parts of their waste services, the council’s waste and recycling team worked jointly with colleagues in the passenger transport team to ensure weekly waste collections continued and crews were socially distanced and protected.
With most people working from home or shielding, demand for the service significantly rose between the months of March and June. The borough saw an increase between 15 and 25 per cent across all collections, including garden waste and dry recycling.
Despite the rise in demand, the joint working arrangements meant the council continued to put residents first by maintaining all weekly waste and recycling collections.
Hillingdon Council was one of the only London boroughs to continue collections of all waste from households and flats during the peak of the COVID-19 crisis.
Cllr Philip Corthorne, Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and the Environment, said: “I am so proud that our waste and recycling team has been recognised as one of the best teams in the country.
“This award is a testament to the great work that was carried out to ensure that the council continued to deliver essential services and even new ones throughout this extremely challenging period.
“While many councils had to suspend parts of their collection services, we were able to carry on. This was a result of a lot of hard work behind the scenes from a variety of services to ensure crews were protected.
“I know that the team was also very grateful of the support provided by residents who left them countless thank you notes and presents in recognition of their efforts.
“I’d like to congratulate to everyone involved in this fantastic achievement.”
Hillingdon was shortlisted alongside Cheshire West and Chester Council, Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council and West Berkshire Council.
