M&S environmental goals 'have been successful'

Marks & Spencer (M&S) has announced that its aims to become greener have been successful.

Yesterday (June 10th), the retail chain's annual business report revealed that its eco programme Plan A is on target to reach its environmental goals by 2012, having reduced the amount of waste it sends to landfills by 33 per cent over the last 12 months.

Chairman of M&S Sir Stuart Rose said: "We've introduced products and services to help customers live more sustainably, increased our contribution to local communities and, this year, generated £50 million additional profit which has been invested back in the business."

The company has also attempted to reduce its impact on the environment by re-using and recycling 133 million clothes hangers, limiting food packing and decreasing the amount of food wasted.

Other results included using 417 million fewer carriers this year compared with 2006/07 and reducing food packaging by 20 per cent.

Last month, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds announced that it is going to transform a number of landfill sites into nature reserves in a bid to encourage wildlife to prosper in a greater number of areas.

Posted by Joseph Hutton