White Rose Shopping Centre celebrated World Environment Day on 5 June with the launch of completely free electric vehicle charging points at the centre.
The electric vehicle charging points – found in Car Park 5 – will now be free for centre visitors to use while visiting White Rose. The centre is also installing new LED lighting across the entire site, which consume up to 90% less energy than traditional bulbs. The installation project, which will see new lighting installed in the shopping malls, car parks, and centre perimeter roads, is due to be completed this year.
No stranger to eco-friendly initiatives, White Rose is home to the largest solar photovoltaic system at a retail site in the UK. The system generates 680,000 kWh of power a year – enough electricity to power more than 200 UK homes for 12 months – and has resulted in a 20 percent reduction in electricity use year-on-year. Cost savings are in turn passed on to retailers at White Rose.
In 2018, White Rose introduced a Smoke and Vape Free Zone in its outdoor leisure area to coincide with the opening of its children’s play area. The initiative, in partnership with Leeds City Council and Child Friendly Leeds, supports the city’s Clean Air Leeds ambition.
The centre also boasts an aerobic digester which turns waste food into water, which is then pumped back into the UK water system.
In 2018, White Rose Shopping Centre’s digester:
- Processed 136 tonnes of food waste (the equivalent of around 27 elephants)
- …which equates to around 107 cubic meters of landfill avoided
- …and 89,000 litres of water back into the system
White Rose also worked with Yorkshire Water with competitions and giveaways aiming to educate visitors on water-saving techniques and what can and cannot safely be put down pipes, with "The Wipesaur" entertaining young visitors as part of the World Environment Day action.
Steven Foster, General Manager at White Rose Shopping Centre, said: “Our environmental impact is something we consider every day at White Rose, and World Environment Day is a great reason to encourage our community to get involved.
“In addition to our ongoing green initiatives, we’re proud to be launching free electric vehicle charging points. There’s plenty for visitors to do at White Rose – from shopping and films to dining and playing outdoors – and leaving to a fully-charged car for no cost is sure to be the cherry on top.”
Photo: Kate Lock
