HOUSEHOLDS in the Knighton area will be getting their rubbish collected by the Powys’ first ever bin-lady.
Sally Gray has entered the world of rubbish collection and is getting her hands dirty with the rest of the male crew.
Currently working out of Penybont Depot alongside lead operative Steve Buncombe, Sally navigates their bin lorry around the Mid Wales countryside as they collect recycling, household and trade waste in New Radnor, Knighton and Presteigne.
Sally said her choice of career evolved from her love of driving large vehicles.
“I took my lorry test about 25 years ago,” she said. “I kept heavy horses and needed to transport them to shows and other locations. My father-in-law got fed up of finding people to drive me around so it made sense for me to get my HGV licence.
“I just thought I’d have a go at it. I knew I was reasonably strong and that I could drive a lorry fairly well. I like driving, I always have done and I prefer to be in a lorry than a car. I feel safer and more comfortable in it, plus the view is better.”
Steve Buncombe said: “She’s very professional in the way she carries out her job and if she has any issues, she approaches them correctly.”
The strenuous nature of the job shouldn’t be under-estimated. Sally and Steve are climbing in and out of the cab constantly and hauling bags of waste around the streets of Powys come rain or shine.
“I’ve always enjoyed the job, but it’s physical, smelly and dirty,” laughed Sally. “When we finish here, we do feel dirty. Even though I used to work on a farm, this is different as it’s someone else’s dirt.
“On a wet day, the residual waste turns into a thick sludge and when it’s tipped at landfill the smell is evil.”
The recent changes to kerbside collections introduced by Powys County Council has seen the way Sally goes about her business change, but having seen firsthand how people have responded towards more effective recycling she is 100 per cent behind the service.
“It didn’t go down too well at first, but people are doing very well now,” she said.
“At first I think people found it hard to believe that we were saving money doing things this way, but I tell them that if we could all do our own little bit, collectively we will help reduce landfill and avoid the potentially large fines.”
While there is now plenty of public support for recycling, Sally said people are still confused when they see her and Steve throwing different coloured sacks into the back of her bin wagon.
“People query what we are doing and I don’t blame them,” she said. “But we do keep the sacks separated inside the dustcart and again at the waste transfer station.”