Bag a bargain: Pay for parking with plastic bags in Leeds

CitiPark ditches bottles for bags in the return of our ‘Pay for Parking with Plastic’ recycling scheme.

Last year, we recycled hundreds of single-use plastic bottles after launching a campaign to incentivise customers to return their unwanted bottles to our flagship car park in Leeds. The month-long recycling scheme saw customers receive 20p off their parking for every 500ml plastic bottle brought to our Merrion Centre car park.

CitiPark is introducing the scheme once again for the month of October, however this year we're asking for plastic bags, with every bag equating to 5p against the price of parking at our Merrion Centre and Leeds Dock car parks.

Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide, which can take hundreds of years to biodegrade depending on the type of plastic. Fewer than 3% are recycled, with the majority dumped in our oceans and landfill, endangering marine life and other species.

Following the introduction of the 5p charge in 2015, the amount of single-use plastic bags given out each year by retail giants decreased from 140 to 25 bags per person on average. Since then, many UK supermarkets have discontinued such bags in favour of tougher, longer-lasting ‘bags for life’.

We’re extremely pleased to see our recycling scheme return for the second year running following a successful launch last year. Today’s society has become so dependent on the convenience of single-use plastic and too often we neglect the implications its use has on our environment and future generations.

“Incentives such as our recycling scheme enable us to shed light on the scale of the issue and draw attention to the single-use plastic products contributing most to the problem, such as bags and bottles.” Says Charlotte-Daisy Leeming, Head of Corporate Social Responsibilities at CitiPark.

Ben Ziff, Managing Director at CitiPark said: “At CitiPark, we are committed to going green. We invest in sustainable technologies to conserve energy, lower pollution and reduce waste. We have already introduced a range of green initiatives that reward environmentally-conscious drivers who support our pledge to protect the environment, such as the emissions-based parking tariff at our Clipstone Street branch in London’s Congestion Zone, where low emission cars qualify for discounted parking under our ‘green tariff’.”

As part of the organisation’s wider commitment to sustainability, CitiPark will take part in ‘Merrion Centre Goes Green’ at the Merrion Centre in Leeds from Monday 7th to Friday 11th October. This week-long series of activities will focus on sustainability, health and well-being, recycling and protecting the environment, and will involve a range of Merrion Centre retailers, charities and other external organisations.

Terms and Conditions

_{The promotion is valid at CitiPark: Merrion Centre and Leeds Dock.
Each plastic bag equates to 5p against the price of parking, there is no cash alternative.
CitiPark will accept any sized plastic bags.
This promotion is not eligible for pre-book, season ticket holders, First Direct Arena Nights, partnerships, permit holders and all members of staff employed by Town Centre Securities PLC and CitiPark.
Customers must personally hand all plastic bags to an attendant in the CitiPark customer service suite/office (located next to the entrance of the car parks). The attendant will discount your parking ticket by 5p for every plastic bag.
CitiPark reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time and at its sole discretion.}