Maidenhead & Windsor

Official: highest praise for Windsor and Maidenhead recycling rewards scheme

Recycling rewards for Royal Windsor and Maidenhead Borough residents have been singled out as a top example of service excellence.

The pioneering pilot scheme achieved the highest level - compliance plus - in the recent Customer Service Excellence assessment of the Windsor and Maidenhead council's public protection and sustainability unit. The assessment resulted in the unit retaining the national stamp of approval for its 'deep understanding and commitment to customer service excellence'.

The recycling rewards scheme, said the assessment report, demonstrated the council's willingness to learn from the best practice of others - in this case the RecycleBank operation in the USA - and to pioneer a different approach in the UK. It also showed the council's commitment to increasing recycling through 'positive engagement and encouragement' of customers.

A number of areas of good practice in the Windsor and Maidenhead public protection unit as a whole were also singled out for praise including:

* high standards in service delivery with many examples of enhanced provision for the benefit of customers, including the new green waste collection service, the introduction of mixed recycling, work on sustainability issues and support for struggling food businesses
* service development based on sound understanding of customer needs
* staff who are committed to working closely with customers towards improvements in food safety
* recognition of the fact that 'one size does not fit all' and customer needs must be taken into account.

Cllr Phill Bicknell, lead member for Windsor and Maidenhead public protection, said he was delighted with the outcome of the assessment and congratulated staff on their commitment to top quality customer service.

He said: "The public protection unit's work touches the daily lives of every member of our community. This report underlines our determination to put residents and customers first in everything we do and it is a bonus to have independent endorsement of the unit's excellent work. There are some areas mentioned for improvement and we are already working on these to make things even better for our residents."

Cllr Liam Maxwell, lead member for Windsor and Maidenhead sustainability, said he was particularly pleased that the recycling rewards scheme had attracted the highest accolade.

He added: "Both the green waste and mixed recycling rewards pilots have been ground-breaking innovations in the United Kingdom. We saw what had been achieved by RecycleBank in the USA and were convinced the scheme could work here not only as an incentive for increased recycling but also as a really good way of rewarding our residents and promoting local businesses."

The Royal Windsor and Maidenhead Borough's public protection unit consists of three service teams - environmental health, trading standards and licensing and waste and environmental protection (the sustainability team has since moved to another unit).

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead