Marks & Spencer (M&S) is to start tackling the water footprint of its UK stores, with the installation of water saving technology in hundreds of its outlets over the next year.
M&S said today that it would start rolling-out
water saving technology, including sensor taps, flush valves and urinal controls, at 300 of its largest stores over the next 12 months. In addition, the retailer said it would extend a waterless urinal trial currently being carried out at seven of its stores to a further 20 stores following "encouraging early results". The move is part of M&S’ Plan A programme, which aims to position the company as the world’s most sustainable major retailer by 2015.
The
water efficiency measures were announced today as M&S published its Plan A half-year progress report, which showed 105 of the 180 commitments the company has made have now been achieved with a further 18 on course to be completed by April 2012.
Water usage
One of these commitments is to reduce water usage by 20 per cent at M&S’ existing stores, offices and warehouses by next year and by 25 per cent by 2015. M&S has already exceeded its 2015 target on water usage at its food warehouses (down 62 per cent since 2007/08), but it has struggled to identify ways to reduce its water usage in its stores and offices in line with its target. Water usage across these
facilities has dropped by only eight per cent over the same period. It said it expected the introduction of water saving technology to reduce water consumption "significantly" in its stores and offices in 2011/12.
"We all know how crucial water is as a natural resource and at M&S we’re tackling water efficiency within our own operations and across our supply base," Mervyn Bowden, who heads up the team at M&S working on the water saving project, said. "These measures will significantly improve efficiency in the way we use water and cut out unnecessary wastage. It will save large amounts of water which will help with conservation of water and reduce costs – a real win, win situation."
Other new initiatives
Alongside water efficiency, M&S today unveiled a number of other initiatives that will see it reduce its carbon footprint at home and ensure its supply chain is greener abroad. These include trialling dual fuel technology on five trucks in its distribution fleet in the UK and awarding a denim factory in Bangladesh and a woven fabrics unit in Indonesia M&S’ first two factory 'Ethical Excellence’ awards. This month M&S also opened its first overseas sustainable learning store in Bangalore, India.
These programmes top a year in which the retailer has launched a string of eco and ethical initiatives ranging from the opeing its greenest ever store in April in Sheffield to the launch of its Forever Fish campaign and the launch of the world’s first carbon neutral lingerie and a carbon neutral chocolate bar.
"Plan A continues to deliver a more sustainable M&S," Richard Gillies, director of Plan A, CSR and Sustainable Business, commented. "It’s helping our stores become more energy efficient, our lorries use less fuel, our supply chain become greener and more resilient and it enables us to trade ethically around the world. We’re also saving money, so it’s good for business, and it’s good for customers."
M&S, which sells clothing, food and homeware and has over 21 million visitors to its stores every week, is aiming that at a minimum of 50 per cent of its 2.7 billion products across 36,000 product lines carry at least one sustainable or ethical quality by 2015. It also wants 2,000 of its suppliers to adopt Plan A best practice within the next four years.
Last year, Plan A brought a net benefit of £70 million to M&S, up from £50 million in 2009-10.
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