Broughton Shopping Park in Flintshire is to host an important sustainability and climate change exhibition to help raise awareness of the simple measures households and businesses can take to help reduce water, waste and energy use.

Broughton’s exhibition opens on October 1 and continues until October 13. The thousands of visitors will get the chance to see how making small changes can have a positive impact on the environment. 

The exhibition will involve several local organisations, including the Mold office of  the North Wales Energy Efficiency Advice Centre , which provides free, impartial advice on energy saving and related grants to all householders resident in the six counties of North Wales.

Also participating is the Waste and Recycling  Department at Flintshire County Council, who will be providing useful tips and plenty of information on minimising waste and recycling in the home.

The exhibition, inspired by Business in the Community, uses a series of giant billboards and displays bearing practical information and easy measures that will help everyone to reduce their carbon footprint and make good environmental choices. The displays touch on the issues of energy use, carbon emissions, sustainable transport, water use, recycling and waste reduction. Plenty of practical advice is available from local experts, together with literature and give-aways.

“Actions can be as easy as turning the thermostat down one degree, changing to energy saving lightbulbs, washing clothes at 30 degrees, taking a shorter shower, or turning off appliances,”

says Steve Woosey, Manager of the North Wales Energy Efficiency Advice Centre, who will be handing out a “Commit to save your 20%” challenge.

Gabrielle Yoxall, Waste Strategy and Recycling Officer at Flintshire County Council, and her team will also be playing a major part in the event. She says: “ Everyone is more interested in recycling these days, but we want to show visitors how with very little effort they can do more.”

Colin Gilligan, Manager of Broughton Shopping Park said: 

“We all have a responsibility to help tackle the effects of climate change and the aim of the exhibition is to help everyone become more environmentally friendly. With around 90 per cent of CO2 emissions in British Land properties coming from customer controlled areas the launch of the exhibition underlines its determination to advance the cause of sustainability and Climate Change in partnership with  our customers"

“We already have on the Park the country’s third largest recycling centre, and by this time next year we aim to be number one.”

The exhibition, which has the active support of HRH The Prince of Wales and the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, will be officially opened by Mark Tami MP at 11am on October 2 2007.

Broughton Shopping Park’s owner, British Land,  is the largest owner of UK out of town retail warehouses and superstores, and the exhibition forms part of the company’s drive to reduce water, waste and energy use at its properties and its aim to become carbon neutral by 2008/2009.  The exhibition will initially tour eight British Land venues in the UK giving over 2.5 million people the opportunity to see the exhibition within the first four months.