Lakeside Village’s Green Zone takes top environmental prize on national stage

The centre was named National Gold Winner in the Retail and Wholesale – Wastes Management category at the awards, for its Green Zone which encourages shoppers to recycle and reuse unwanted goods.

Created in 2022, the Green Zone is located in the Guest Services area of the centre and consists of five recycled containers set against a backdrop of interesting and hard-hitting facts about the importance of reuse and recycling.

Customers and centre visitors can donate and drop-off their used and unwanted items in the containers – from unwanted wearable bras to household batteries and used bedding - for the centre’s team to sort and either recycle or donate to charity.

Lyndsey Parry, Deputy Centre Manager of Lakeside Village, said: “We’re really proud to have won gold at the Green Apple Environment Awards this year.

“The Green Zone has proved to be really popular with visitors to the centre, with literally hundreds of bags of unwanted goods being donated every year, before being sorted and recycled or donated for reuse to local charities such as Doncaster RSPCA and Garage 32 – a charity that supports the local housing association, St Leger Homes.

“With its creation we’ve created a local destination drop-off point for people, where visitors of all ages can learn about the importance of recycling and, ultimately, play a part in helping ensure less waste goes to landfill.

“We’re very proud of the initiative and grateful to our customers who’ve really embraced the idea and made it a success. It’s fantastic to be recognised for this at a national level.”

The award marks the second accolade Lakeside Village has taken home in recognition of its sustainability work this year, having been named winner of the ‘Best Hospitality or Retail Sustainability Initiative’ category at the 2023 South Yorkshire Sustainability awards.

For more information about Lakeside Village’s Think Green initiatives, visit www.lakeside-village.co.uk/think-green