M&S now recycles 100% of its waste, with nothing going to landfill. The report shows that the company now uses fewer carrier bags and less packaging
31 per cent of products now have a Plan A attribute, driving more sustainable consumption amongst M&S customers. This adds up to almost a billion individual items sold every year at a retail value of £3 billion. The target is to raise this to 50 per cent by 2015 and 100 per cent by 2020.
Marc Bolland, Chief Executive, Marks & Spencer said: “I am proud of what we've achieved. We now have a better, greener and more ethical Marks & Spencer. Moving forward we will continue to engage customers in sustainable consumption, as we have with our Shwopping initiative, the first cradle to cradle clothes retailing business model. We remain as committed to Plan A as we have ever been. It is an essential part of our DNA and fundamental to our plans to become an international, multi-channel retailer.”
Against the 180 commitments (100 launched in 2007, 80 added in 2010), 138 have been achieved, 30 are ‘on plan', six are ‘behind plan' and six have not been achieved.
The retailer has also announced that it plans to launch in-store banking services this summer. The first branch is set to open in July at the group's flagship store at Marble Arch in London.
It plans to open a total of 50 branches in M&S stores over the next two years, creating 500 jobs by the end of 2013.