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Gunwharf Quays, Land Securities’ mixed-use development on Portsmouth Harbour, attracts 7m visitors annually. Within the Land Securities portfolio it is seen as a leader in environmental practise.

Gunwharf Quays currently recycles 55 per cent of its waste, but what impressed the SCEPTRE judges was the fact that the remainder is sent through an Energy Recovery Facility which generates enough electricity to power 20 homes per month. This brings Gunwharf’s recycling rate up to 99 per cent.

However, looking forward the centre is the first Land Securities property to move towards re-use rather than mere recycling. Initially 133 tonnes of pallets, 6 tonnes of tote boxes, 10 tonnes of coat hangers and 4 tonnes of steel cages have been recovered, and this is expected to increase year-on-year. “Our reuse scheme has been a great success to date, and we expect it to go from strength to strength,” said centre director Peter Emery.

Energy saving is also integral to Gunwharf’s environmental strategy and all new projects reflect the need to save resources. For example the refurbishment of the public toilets incorporated Dyson Airblades that use 80 per cent less energy than other hand dryers, and motion sensors have been fitted to the lighting system back-of-house.

As a result Gunwharf Quays reduced its energy consumption by 10 percent in 2008, despite its Gross Lettable Area increasing by 15,000 sq ft during the year.

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