Here at Princesshay, we take our commitment to the environment very seriously, but, we know that we can do more. That’s why we’re working towards becoming even more environmentally conscious. So, along with maintaining our already successful initiatives, we’re constantly looking for ways to improve. 

We are committed to helping tackle the global climate and biodiversity crises by creating greener, healthier and more sustainable places. Here are just a few of the amazing things we’ve been working towards.

Initiatives the centre has in place:

• Princesshay has jointly founded and supported the Exeter Sustainability Awards celebrating and recognising the great work and progress happening across the city. Entries for 2023 open from 1st September.
• We have 10 x EV charging points installed at our Summerland Gate car park and at the main multi storey car park in Princesshay.
• Princesshay and landlords The Crown Estate & Nuveen supported the creation of Petroc’s Place, a circular fashion hub on Paris Street together with other local projects in this area including St Sidwell’s Bake House, Positive Lights, Co Create and Exeter Library of Things.
• A refillable water station is COMING SOON to Bampfylde Lane within Princesshay.
• We created a short film about the public artwork on display in Princesshay.
• Throughout this year Princesshay has hosted free tours of our the Roof Top Bee Garden. The honey from these bee hives will be harvested in September and made available for sale at Chandos Deli with profits going to our charity partner.
• We have created an educational space within the centre about bees called ‘The Hive’ . This space also acts as a meeting point for school trips and community groups visiting our amazing rooftop bee project. Email us to book in for a visit.
• Libraries Unlimited will be popping up within Princesshay from 19th September to the end of October with a second hand book shop located on Bedford Street.

Facts and figures:

• Princesshay is home to a rooftop garden complete with four hives and approximately 300,000 honey bees!
• In their 2020/21 annual report, our joint landlords, The Crown Estate, reported a 34% year-on-year reduction in carbon emissions.
• Nuveen, joint landlords of Princesshay have generated electricity equivalent to boiling a kettle 1.3m times from solar installations located across the UK. That’s equivalent to the yearly electricity usage of 730 houses and offset the same CO2 as planting nearly 6000 trees!
• Here at Princesshay we recycled 109,000 kg of cardboard in 2021/22. That’s the equivalent of saving 1853 trees!
• In 2021/22 Princesshay recycled 22,185kg of wood waste we also commissioned local community interest company Co-Create to make us 10 new planters out of recycled wooden pallets!
• Absolute energy use across The Crown Estate’s portfolio has declined by 24% this year. 
• 71% of the electricity purchased by The Crown Estate during 2020/21 was from renewable sources. The target is to procure 100% of our electricity from renewable sources by 2023.
• Princesshay recycled 32,800kg of plastic in 2021/22, which saved the equivalent of nearly 592 barrels of oil!
• Princesshay returned 54,736kg of glass for recycling in 2021/22.
• The Crown Estate are committed to aligning with the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Climate Agreement, with a target to become a net zero carbon business by 2030!