MoreThanWaste.com - Marks & Spencer - zero waste to landfill by 2012 (15/01/2007)

Stuart Rose, M&S Chief Executive

Marks & Spencer have announced the initiation of "Plan A", a business-wide £200m "eco-plan" which will have an impact on every part of M&S' operations over the next five years. As well as becoming carbon neutral, the company intends to send zero waste to landfill.

Though called Plan A, in fact there is no plan B.

The announcement is a further demonstration of the image that the larger retailers such as M&S are keen to adopt and also of the general improved approach of all elements of the UK economy to green issues, including wastes management. It also demonstrates a major step forward by such a large retailer in trying to make a difference to our environmental impacts, particularly those affecting global warming.

Jonathon Porritt, Founder Director of Forum for the Future has advised M&S on the "Plan A" policy.

The 100-point plan means that by 2012 M&S aims for:

carbon neutrality
no waste deposited in landfill
extended sustainable sourcing
setting new standards in ethical trading
helping customers and employees live a healthier lifestyle.

For further details of the plan see MoreThanWaste article.

Zero waste to landfill by 2012

The company intends to stop sending waste to landfill from its stores, offices and warehouses, reduce its use of packaging and carrier bags, and finding new ways to recycle and reuse waste materials.

The commitment includes:

Reducing use of packaging by 25%
Stopping sending food waste to landfill and using it to generate green energy via anaerobic digestion
Recycling all waste from stores' remodelling and construction programme and stopping sending it to landfill
Using packaging materials from sustainable or recycled sources, for example cardboard, metal, glass and plastic
Restricting the range of materials used in packaging to ones which are easy to recycle or compost. This will include focusing on using four types of plastic these being corn starch derived plastic PLA, PP, PET and PE.
Printing simple symbols on all packaging, to make it easy for customers to recycle or compost waste
Reducing use of carrier bags by 33% and making all plastic bags from recycled plastic
Trialling 'closed loop' recycling in six store cafes, where used packaging can be recycled into M&S product packaging. This scheme will be rolled out across over 450 Café Revives and staff restaurants
Ensuring that, within 5 years, no M&S clothing goes to landfill by finding alternatives to disposal such as reusing, composting and recycling.

Chief Executive's comments

M&S Chief Executive, Stuart Rose said:

"Every business and individual needs to do their bit to tackle the enormous challenges of climate change and waste......... We believe a responsible business can be a profitable business. We are calling this "Plan A" because there is no 'plan B'."

"M&S will change beyond recognition the way it operates over the next five years. We will become carbon neutral, only using offsetting as a last resort; we will ensure that none of our clothing or packaging needs to be thrown away; much of our polyester clothing will be made from recycled plastic bottles instead of oil and every year we will sell over 20 million garments made from Fairtrade cotton."

"We will clearly label the food we import by air; UK, regional and local food sourcing will be a priority and we will trial the use of food waste to power our stores. We will do this without passing on the extra cost to our customers."

"We will also help our suppliers and customers to change their behaviour. Because we are own-brand our influence extends to over 2,000 factories, 10,000 farms and 250,000 workers, as well as millions of customers visiting over 500 stores in the UK."

"This is a deliberately ambitious and, in some areas, difficult plan. We don't have all the answers but we are determined to work with our suppliers, partners and Government to make this happen. Doing anything less is not an option."

Other comments

Jonathon Porritt, Founder Director of Forum for the Future, who has advised M&S on "Plan A", said:

"This plan sets a new benchmark in the way businesses should be tackling critical sustainability challenges like waste, fairtrade and climate change. It raises the bar for everyone else - not just retailers, but businesses in every sector. We all know that even at the end of these 5 years there will still be a huge amount for M&S to do but we warmly welcome the scale of the ambition of this plan in particular the commitment to include customers and suppliers."

Blake Lee-Harwood, Campaign Director, Greenpeace UK said:

"We're glad a company like M&S has proposals that begin to match the scale of the challenge of climate change and protecting our oceans and forests. If every retailer in Britain followed Marks & Spencer's lead it would be a major step forward in meeting the challenge of creating a sustainable society."

Robert Napier, Chief Executive, WWF-UK said:

"Research clearly shows us that agricultural activities and other food production and distribution have some of the greatest impacts upon our environment. It is vital that we all find ways to achieve a One Planet lifestyle. Such bold aspirations as outlined by Marks & Spencer can only help drive other supermarkets and the retail sector towards supplying products in a way that protects our planet and sustains the natural resources we depend upon."


	Marks & Spencer - zero waste to landfill by 2012 (15/01/2007) "M&S will change beyond recognition the way it operates over the next five years. We will become carbon neutral, only using offsetting as a last resort; we will ensure that none of our clothing or packaging needs to be thrown away" Stuart Rose, M&S Chief Executive Marks & Spencer have announced the initiation of "Plan A", a business-wide £200m "eco-plan" which will have an impact on every part of M&S' operations over the next five years. As well as becoming carbon neutral, the company intends to send zero waste to landfill. Though called Plan A, in fact there is no plan B. The announcement is a further demonstration of the image that the larger retailers such as M&S are keen to adopt and also of the general improved approach of all elements of the UK economy to green issues, including wastes management. It also demonstrates a major step forward by such a large retailer in trying to make a difference to our environmental impacts, particularly those affecting global warming. Jonathon Porritt, Founder Director of Forum for the Future has advised M&S on the "Plan A" policy. The 100-point plan means that by 2012 M&S aims for: carbon neutrality no waste deposited in landfill extended sustainable sourcing setting new standards in ethical trading helping customers and employees live a healthier lifestyle. For further details of the plan see MoreThanWaste article. Zero waste to landfill by 2012 The company intends to stop sending waste to landfill from its stores, offices and warehouses, reduce its use of packaging and carrier bags, and finding new ways to recycle and reuse waste materials. The commitment includes: Reducing use of packaging by 25% Stopping sending food waste to landfill and using it to generate green energy via anaerobic digestion Recycling all waste from stores' remodelling and construction programme and stopping sending it to landfill Using packaging materials from sustainable or recycled sources, for example cardboard, metal, glass and plastic Restricting the range of materials used in packaging to ones which are easy to recycle or compost. This will include focusing on using four types of plastic these being corn starch derived plastic PLA, PP, PET and PE. Printing simple symbols on all packaging, to make it easy for customers to recycle or compost waste Reducing use of carrier bags by 33% and making all plastic bags from recycled plastic Trialling 'closed loop' recycling in six store cafes, where used packaging can be recycled into M&S product packaging. This scheme will be rolled out across over 450 Café Revives and staff restaurants Ensuring that, within 5 years, no M&S clothing goes to landfill by finding alternatives to disposal such as reusing, composting and recycling. Chief Executive's comments M&S Chief Executive, Stuart Rose said: "Every business and individual needs to do their bit to tackle the enormous challenges of climate change and waste......... We believe a responsible business can be a profitable business. We are calling this "Plan A" because there is no 'plan B'." "M&S will change beyond recognition the way it operates over the next five years. We will become carbon neutral, only using offsetting as a last resort; we will ensure that none of our clothing or packaging needs to be thrown away; much of our polyester clothing will be made from recycled plastic bottles instead of oil and every year we will sell over 20 million garments made from Fairtrade cotton." "We will clearly label the food we import by air; UK, regional and local food sourcing will be a priority and we will trial the use of food waste to power our stores. We will do this without passing on the extra cost to our customers." "We will also help our suppliers and customers to change their behaviour. Because we are own-brand our influence extends to over 2,000 factories, 10,000 farms and 250,000 workers, as well as millions of customers visiting over 500 stores in the UK." "This is a deliberately ambitious and, in some areas, difficult plan. We don't have all the answers but we are determined to work with our suppliers, partners and Government to make this happen. Doing anything less is not an option." Other comments Jonathon Porritt, Founder Director of Forum for the Future, who has advised M&S on "Plan A", said: "This plan sets a new benchmark in the way businesses should be tackling critical sustainability challenges like waste, fairtrade and climate change. It raises the bar for everyone else - not just retailers, but businesses in every sector. We all know that even at the end of these 5 years there will still be a huge amount for M&S to do but we warmly welcome the scale of the ambition of this plan in particular the commitment to include customers and suppliers." Blake Lee-Harwood, Campaign Director, Greenpeace UK said: "We're glad a company like M&S has proposals that begin to match the scale of the challenge of climate change and protecting our oceans and forests. If every retailer in Britain followed Marks & Spencer's lead it would be a major step forward in meeting the challenge of creating a sustainable society." Robert Napier, Chief Executive, WWF-UK said: "Research clearly shows us that agricultural activities and other food production and distribution have some of the greatest impacts upon our environment. It is vital that we all find ways to achieve a One Planet lifestyle. Such bold aspirations as outlined by Marks & Spencer can only help drive other supermarkets and the retail sector towards supplying products in a way that protects our planet and sustains the natural resources we depend upon."