Peterborough's Queensgate Shopping Centre hopes 10 feet high 'whale' will help it make a splash with plastics recycling

A 10 feet high ‘whale’ has been installed in Peterborough’s Queensgate Shopping Centre to encourage shoppers to recycle plastic waste.

The giant whale has been placed in Central Square and shoppers are encouraged to place their plastic bottles inside its belly to be taken away later for recycling.

The installation symbolises the urgent need to protect the oceans from plastic pollution and the role collective action can play to achieve this goal.

The initiative includes the creation of a pledge wall for people to write their pledge on and explain how they will make a difference to the environment.

Catherine Lambert, Centre Director at Queensgate, said: “Highlighting the importance of waste reduction and recycling has never been more important.

“Part of the solution is education and by bringing something so impactful and symbolic to the centre will help to grab people’s attention and encourage them to take an interest in how they can play their part.”

To mark what has been called Sustainable September, the centre is raising awareness around the importance of recycling and the need to reduce plastic waste, as well as living a more energy efficient lifestyle.

The centre’s achievements to promote sustainability include:

Last year, the centre recycled almost 10 tonnes of food waste. This food waste is processed in an anaerobic digester, where it is transformed into valuable renewable energy or fertiliser, reducing landfill waste and contributing to a more sustainable future.

It recycled over 60 tonnes of cardboard in 2022, an amount equivalent to approximately 60 mini-Coopers.

More than six tonnes of glass were recycled at Queensgate last year equivalent to more than 60,000 glass cups.

Queensgate consistently recycles around 50 tonnes of plastic each year, an astonishing equivalent to approximately 2.5 million plastic bottles or 10 elephants.

The appearance of the ‘whale’ comes after the centre announced a £1.5 million project to improve energy efficiency at its four car parks.

The Red car park has been closed for two months while some of the works are carried out.