In 1999 Robinson was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand. In 2010 he was awarded a Marsden Medal by the New Zealand Association of Scientists, in recognition of his lifetime contribution to science. He was also a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry, and the Society of Perfumers and Flavourists.
An active Rotarian, Robinson was a recipient of the Paul Harris Fellowship for community service in 2004.