A young Bendigo woman who copped a barrage of personal attacks for doing her job has been given a national award.  

Bridgette McDougall was the public face of the city’s new organic waste service which rolled out this year.

This month she was named The Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand’s young environmental professional of the year.

Ms McDougall said the gong was particularly rewarding given the “blowback” she received from residents angered by the roll-out of the green bins.

Related: New green bins kicking up a stink

The 25-year-old City of Greater Bendigo staffer said those involved in the project copped months of abusive phone calls, emails and even face-to-face verbal sprays.

And when residents applied for exemptions from the service it was the young organics projects officer who would inspect their properties to see if they were eligible. Sometimes, it got nasty.

“Sometimes people did get personal - ‘you did this, you made this happen,’” she said.

“Because I was working very closely with residents and making sure everyone in the receiving area got their bin.”

But she stuck it out, the green bins rolled out and Ms McDougall – who has since been promoted – said she believed the city was a far better place for it. ​

“I think a lot of the backlash came from misunderstanding, people not understanding the need for us to divert organic material form landfill,” she said.

“Getting people to understand that and their own connection to the impacts of waste – that was a real challenge.

“But we are producing so much waste and we need to do everything we possibly can to minimise that, and this really good way doing it.”

Ms McDougall said the backlash had dissipated now bins were being collected.

“It was tough, it was one of hardest things I’ve ever done, it was ridiculously stressful,” she said.

“But it was completely worth it.”

Ms McDougall’s work editing and contributing to a CSIRO book was also a factor in her winning the EIANZ’s Tor Hundloe, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the environment profession by those under 30 years old.

She is now the city’s strategic waste officer, a portfolio which encompasses the organic waste alongside recycling, packaging and litter.