Princess Anne thanked frontline critical workers at one of the county’s recycling and waste centres as she carried out a royal visit.
The Princess Royal visited the Waterbeach home of the Greater Cambridge Shared Waste Service, a partnership between South Cambridgeshire District and Cambridge City Council.
Her Royal Highness praised key workers who have been non-stop since the very start of the coronavirus pandemic
The outdoor visit, which followed strict social distancing guidelines, was arranged via the Cambridgeshire Lieutenancy Office and was also attended by the Lord-Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, Julie Spence.
Hayley Resztan, refuse crew member, said: “It was nice to meet the princess.
“Her Royal Highness was interested in how I recycle at home too, and whether I started recycling more when I began working here. I’ve always taken care to recycle though.”
During the visit, Her Royal Highness and the Lord-Lieutenant spoke to refuse loaders and bin lorry drivers who have been working throughout lockdown.
The Princess Royal was also shown the Shared Waste Service’s new electric bin lorry. The Dennis Eagle eCollect is the first electric bin lorry to be operating in Cambridgeshire.
Ray Frost, a street cleansing operative, said: “It was nice of The Princess to come and chat about how she was interested in street cleansing and all the crews that work here, who keep the streets clean for us all and have been working hard throughout pandemic.”
Greg Hutton-Squire of Greater Cambridge Commercial Waste said: “It was very pleasant to meet The Princess and good of Her Royal Highness to show an interest in us.
“The Princess was interested in business waste, and the number of organisations and schools that we collect recycling from.”
Julie Spence said: “It was a real honour to welcome HRH The Princess Royal to Waterbeach, to say thank you to some of the unsung heroes of the pandemic, our refuse collectors, without whom our streets would have been unimaginable.
“We owe a lot to the teams who have worked tirelessly through all weathers, and the virus, to ensure that we have maintained a safe and clean environment.”
The chairman of South Cambridgeshire District Council, Cllr Douglas de Lacey, said: “During the past year, our crews have had to work harder than ever.
“Despite the continuing pandemic, they have been out daily across every corner of Greater Cambridge to ensure bins have been emptied.
“We are so proud of them and this royal visit symbolises the vital job that they do for every household across Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire.
“The royal recognition is testament to the vital job that we rely on our refuse loaders, drivers and those who support them to perform day in and day out.”
The Mayor of Cambridge, Cllr Russ McPherson, said: “I’d also like to thank our residents because they have been incredibly supportive during the past 12 months.
“It has been fantastic to see the thank you notes and pictures sent in to our waste crews.
“With each loader walking the equivalent of a half marathon every single day, they do a tough job in normal times.
“The past year has shown just how much we rely on them. Our thanks to Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal and the Lord-Lieutenant for taking the time to stop by to talk to our teams and thank them for their service.”
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