Marks & Spencer is continuing to make major progress in its UK and Irish operations towards its Plan A eco and ethical programme to become the world’s most sustainable major retailer by 2015.
M&S stores, offices and distribution centres in the UK and Ireland are now recycling 92% of their operational waste, up from the 53% reported in June and 41% in 2008/09. Solutions are now being trialled to recycle the remaining 8% of waste so that M&S can achieve its commitment to send zero waste to landfill by 2012.
25 M&S stores are now using environmentally friendly C02 refrigeration systems and a further 175 stores have been converted to refrigeration systems which use a cleaner HFC (R407a) gas that instantly halves harmful emissions should they escape.
M&S’ clothes hanger recycling operation is now recycling and re-using over 150 million hangers a year – the biggest operation of its kind in the UK. The system is a closed loop operation with stores re-using hangers as many times as possible.
Hangers that can no longer be used are returned to supplier who refurbishes them or breaks down the material to use to make new hangers. These are then returned to M&S stores. The system saves 15,000 tonnes of CO2 every year and has saved over £5 million in raw material costs.