Festival Place chosen as first shopping centre for ‘On-The-Go Recycling Zones’

Friday, August 15, 2008

From Friday 15th August Festival Place will be the first Shopping Centre in the UK TO feature Coca-Cola Enterprises and WRAP's enterprising On-The-Go Recycling Zone, enabling customers to recycle their bottles, cans, paper, mobile phones and plastic away from home.  Festival Place is only the second location in the UK to host the recycling initiative, with Thorpe Park launching earlier this year.

The Recycling Zone, situated in Bedford Square and Festival Square at Festival Place, was launched by David Domoney - the popular and entertaining green expert from ITV1's 'This Morning' programme. Following his recent involvement in Festival Place's Recycle Now event, David was delighted to see this initiative and was keen to generate awareness amongst the shoppers.

The launch marks the first step in a three year vision to create 80 Recycling Zones by 2011. Other locations will include theme parks such as Alton Towers, shopping centres, and major international travel hubs. The new scheme builds on consumer interest in recycling and has been praised by Joan Ruddock MP, Minister for Waste: "With a target of increasing the national recycling rate to 40% by 2010, programmes such as the Recycling Zone from Coca-Cola Enterprises are vital to the UK hitting its targets."

Steven Connolly, Centre Director, Festival Place, said: "We're very proud to be one of the first places to take on this initiative in the UK. With such a high daily footfall Festival Place has tremendous potential for recycling and we're sure our customers will be making full use of this facility. This new scheme also complements our ongoing commitment to recycling, energy efficiency and waste management for the Centre as a whole."

The Recycling Zone at Festival Place will comprise 2 recycle points, which will be clearly highlighted through signage (at the recycle points themselves, on mall guides, and on directional maps of the site). As well as encouraging people to recycle their empties there and then, the scheme is also intended to remind people to think about recycling as part of their everyday life.

Erika Coghlan, VP, Coca-Cola Enterprises Limited, said: "People often have good intentions but convenience is key. Recycling Zones make it easy for people to choose to recycle.  We want to put Recycling Zones in busy locations where people need them most and can use them when they're on-the-go."

Nick Gammage, Director of Communications at WRAP, (Waste & Resources Action Programme) said : "WRAP's Recycle Now campaign has helped to make recycling an important part of our daily lives. Most recycling currently happens near home but there is so much we can do when we're out and about. The new Recycling Zones are a great way to make it easy to recycle when we are away from home. This means we can recycle more things, more often."

In partnership with recycling charity, Recoup, the programme will also offer up to 15 days technical consultancy to each participating location to enable them to adopt best practice for collection and recycling for drinks cans and bottles.


For further information please contact:
Tanya Bicknell
tanya@kavanaghcommunications.com
+ 44 (0)1483 238 867

Notes to editors

About FESTIVAL PLACE…
Located in the heart of Basingstoke's town centre, Festival Place is established as Hampshire's regional shopping destination and hosts a choice of over 165 shops with a strong emphasis on quality fashion, accessories and homewares.  In addition the centre is complemented by 30 restaurants, bars and cafés. The family-friendly shopping and leisure destination also offers a 10-screen cinema and premium nightclub, state-of-the-art sports centre and library and is closely involved with the local community. Opened in 2002, Festival Place has 1.1 million square feet (or 102,000 m2) of floorspace, supported by 3,000 secure parking spaces, and is easily accessed from Junction 6 of the M3.

Opening Hours
Monday-Friday 9am - 8pm
Saturday 9am - 6pm
Sunday 11am - 5pm

Getting There

By Train
Basingstoke train station is three minutes walk from Festival Place.  Exit the railway station by the main doors, cross the road and walk straight ahead passing Sainsbury's, Woolworth's, Primark and New Look and you will arrive at the front door to Festival Place.

By Bus
Basingstoke Bus Station is in Festival Place. Simply alight from the bus and enter Festival Place by the set of double doors in the Bus Station.

By Car
M3 Junction 6, then follow signs for 'Town Centre'.

Where to Park
There are 3,000 car parking spaces in the Festival Place multi-storey car park on five levels. The main entrance to the car park is off Eastrop Roundabout and sign-posted Festival Place. There are also dedicated spaces for parents and children and those less able on all levels of the car park, all located in easily identifiable bays within easy reach of the lifts.