Wrexham Shopping Centre Claims To Be Greenest In Wales

A Wrexham shopping centre is laying claim to being the greenest retail complex in Wales.

After a major campaign, Eagles Meadow now recycles 93 per cent of its waste materials.

On top of that last year they cut water consumption by 20 per cent and electricity use by 11 per cent.

It means that the centre is streets ahead of the Welsh Government’s target of recycling 50 per cent of waste in 2012.

Eagles Meadow Centre Manager Kevin Critchley said that he is extremely proud of the shopping centre’s record but says they aren’t resting on their laurels.

Mr Critchley said: “We believe we may well be the greenest shopping centre in Wales.

“Improving our green credentials and upping our game in terms of recycling is a major part of my job and one we take very seriously at Eagles Meadow.

“We believe the figures speak for themselves. In total last year we produced 253,983 kgs of waste, of that only 17,385 kgs or seven per cent went to landfill.

“That meant that 236,957 kgs of waste was recovered for recycling, giving us a 93 per cent recycling success rate.

“We recycle 100 per cent of our cardboard and 100 per cent of our glass.

“To put it in some sort of perspective, our recycling percentage in 2010 was 84 per cent and that’s from almost zero from when I arrived here in 2009.

“It’s a superb performance, and I’m rightly proud of the efforts we’ve made and the work that the staff and the contractor have put into it.

Methods used to reduce electricity consumption at the centre included lighting and timing controls and Mr Critchley said that a similar campaign had been undertaken with water consumption.

He said: “We check the public toilets daily. As well as checking in terms of hygiene, we’re also making sure the toilets are not constantly flushing and that the taps aren’t dripping.”