February 14, 2007—UK retail giant Marks & Spencer has announced its “Plan A,” a business-wide £200m “eco-plan” designed to have an impact on every part of M&S’ operations over the next five years.
The 100-point plan’s goal is that by 2012 M&S will become carbon neutral, send no waste to landfills, extend sustainable sourcing, set new standards in ethical trading, and help customers and employees live a healthier lifestyle, according to the company.
M&S Chief Executive, Stuart Rose, said, “We are calling this ‘Plan A’ because there is no ‘Plan B.'” Rose continued, “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 behavior. 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.”
For more information and M&S’s facilities-related goals, visit the Plan A site.
