High-Viz Heroes Day

High-Viz Heroes Day arrives as Veolia & West Berkshire Council take a stand against frontline worker abuse.

> Veolia, West Berkshire Council’s recycling and waste treatment partner, is today celebrating its first nationwide High-Viz Heroes Day to encourage appreciation of frontline workers and raise awareness of the rising abuse they face.

> The awareness day builds upon the company’s existing SiteKind campaign which aims to foster community respect for essential crews across the UK.

> Visit veolia.co.uk/streetkind or follow @VeoliaUK on X, Facebook, and Instagram to see messages of appreciation sent in by communities across the UK to celebrate local heroes.

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Veolia, West Berkshire Council’s recycling and waste treatment partner, is marking its first High-Viz Heroes Day today, 26 June 2026, to recognise and thank the essential workers who keep communities running smoothly.

From collection crews and street cleansers to sorting teams at recycling sites, these dedicated workers maintain clean streets, identify recyclable materials, and help residents dispose of waste correctly.

High-Viz Heroes Day amplifies the voices of the majority of the general public who are appreciative of the essential work carried out by Veolia’s teams.

Ahead of the day, residents and businesses were asked to share their stories and words of thanks for their local heroes.

These compliments have been shared across social media, on Veolia’s website and, crucially, with frontline teams.

This flips the script for Veolia’s teams, who face daily challenges from a small minority, including verbal abuse and aggressive behaviour that impacts their wellbeing.

In 2025, Veolia recorded 490 cases of abuse towards staff across the UK, which included 38 physical attacks alongside verbal abuse, with more incidents likely going unreported.

The celebration day builds on Veolia’s existing SiteKind campaigns, first launched in 2021, which raise awareness of abuse and thank the residents who treat frontline workers with respect.

The campaigns encourage simple actions which make a difference: a smile, a wave, or a kind word.

Drivers are also asked to show respect on the roads by demonstrating patience, and avoiding aggressive behaviours such as honking or dangerous driving near working crews.

Standout compliments are being shared by @VeoliaUK on X, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as on veolia.co.uk/streetkind

Beyond the external campaign, Veolia employees receive ongoing support through internal training programmes, helping to protect the mental and physical wellbeing of essential workers and prevent the escalation of abusive incidents.

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ABOUT VEOLIA

Veolia, a global leader in environmental services, works every day to build ecological security for the benefit of public health and the competitiveness of industries and regions.

With 215,000 employees across five continents, working closely with local communities, and thanks to its cutting-edge technologies, the group cleans up pollution, reduces carbon emissions, and regenerates resources through concrete solutions that combine its expertise in water and water technologies, waste – including hazardous waste management, and local energy.

In 2025, the Veolia group served 110 million people with drinking water and 97 million with sanitation, produced 45 million megawatt hours of energy, and treated 64 million tons of waste.

Veolia Environnement (Paris Euronext: VIE, Fortune 500, SBF 120) generated consolidated revenue of €44.4 billion in 2025. www.veolia.com.

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