M&S updates sustainability plan with new green targets, focus on communities

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Jun 2, 2017

British retailer Marks & Spencer has set new ecological and ethical targets for its business under Plan A 2025, marking ten years of the pioneering sustainability programme.

The sustainability plan is designed to tackle the big issues facing retailers, consumer businesses and society today, and will focus on improving wellbeing for customers and stakeholders and converting M&S into a zero-waste business.

“Plan A 2025 will help us build a sustainable future by helping our customers live healthier lives, supporting the communities they live in and we source from and looking after the planet we all share. We believe we can engage all of our 32 million customers, 85,000 colleagues and 200,000 shareholders in the plan that becomes a mass voice for sustainable change,” said M&S chief executive Steve Rowe.

The three-pillar programme is shaped around ‘wellbeing’, ‘transforming lives and communities’ and ‘caring for the planet’. Key commitments include ensuring 100% of raw materials come from sustainable sources and 20% of all M&S clothing have Plan A health or wellbeing attributes by 2025.

The company also wants to help raise £25 million for charities tackling cancer, heart disease, mental health problems, loneliness and dementia, make all M&S packaging recyclable by 2022 and have at least 25% of all M&S Clothing and Home products made using 25% recycled material.

Additionally, Plan A 2025 will play a transformative role in communities by enabling local economies to thrive, helping to build socially connected communities and improving local environments. Space will be made available for community use in 50% of Clothing, Home and Food stores by 2025, and M&S will enter into a collaboration with Oxfam to develop a deeper understanding of the connection between sourcing practices and human rights impacts.

The sustainability plan will be supported by a marketing campaign that includes M&S’ first ever Plan A store take-over with every single M&S window featuring a Plan A message, and M&S’ 70 biggest stores hosting a welcome zone that details what the store is doing to support its local community.