Marks & Spencer makes pledge on leather
02/03/2010
Marks & Spencer has launched a programme to be the world’s most sustainable retailer by 2015.
Part of its Plan A sustainability initiative, the new programme consists of 80 major new commitments aimed at making sure all M&S products become Plan A products and that its 2,000 suppliers adopt Plan A best practice. Another aim is to encourage its customers and employees to live greener lifestyles.
As part of this, the company said it would become the first major retailer to ensure full traceability of all the “key raw materials used in our clothing and home products”, including leather. The other materials are cotton, wool, polyester, nylon and wood.
It also identified six key raw materials that it uses right across its supply chain and said it would make sure they come from sustainable sources that do not contribute to deforestation, which it identified as one of the biggest causes of climate change. Leather features in this list too, along with palm oil, soya, cocoa, beef and coffee.
The company’s chairman, Sir Stuart Rose, said on announcing the new commitments: “Since we launched our eco plan, Plan A, in 2007 we’ve reduced our environmental impact, developed new sustainable products and services, helped improve the lives of people in our local communities and saved around £50 million by being more efficient.
“We’ve now set ourselves the ambitious target of becoming the world’s most sustainable retailer by 2015, so that we lead the way in making a positive contribution to the environment and society across everything we do and everything we sell. It’s therefore not just the right thing to do morally but also makes strong commercial sense.”
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