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Print articleBradford Council has worked with the Kirkgate Centre in the city centre to introduce new measures to manage its waste more efficiently in a scheme called the Envirowise Managed Shopping Centre Study.
Tenants in the Kirkgate Centre now recycle all their coathangers, cans, lamps and tubes, cardboard, organics and chewing gum. Fruit and vegetable waste from the markets and a juice bar is now being sent to Yorkshire Water to be composted.
Water saving devices have been installed in 150 toilets, new ways of separating waste have been introduced and lighting levels and timer switches have been reviewed to save energy.
In the six months since the scheme started the shopping centre has seen:
* A 23 per cent reduction in water used;
* 17.5 per cent reduction in electricity;
* 19 per cent reduction in gas
* 20 per cent reduction in the amount of waste going to landfill from the centre, and 16 per cent reduction in the waste coming from the market.
The scheme has now been shortlisted for a SCEPTRE award for environmental management, an award which recognises best practice in the retail industry. The team will find out on June 20 whether they have been successful.
Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, the Executive Member for Environment and Culture, said:
?This scheme really shows the results that can be achieved by working together and thinking of new and creative ways of dealing with waste generated through business.
?So many things that we throw away can be reused or recycled. The scheme has proved very popular because not only are the tenants doing their bit to save the environment, they are also saving money because they do not have to pay as much in trade waste costs.?
