Dubbing the scheme ‘Plan A 2025’ the supermarket giant has promised to provide their consumer base with sustainable and increased productivity by the year 2025, giving detailed aims at yearly intervals. the company claims “we’ll halve net food waste” and “By 2025, we want all edible surplus food from M&S stores, key franchises and direct Foods suppliers worldwide to be diverted for human consumption.”
Gaynor Ince, manager at the customer sales service centre in Hull summarised the achievements of this program over the past year: “so we have the original plan A, and the subsequent plans which were put in place in the next few years around our recycling aims to flesh them out and grow as a green business. Our biggest commitment is ‘renewability’ and by this we have successfully implemented strategies regarding not only packaging and carrier bags (the 5p charity and 10p for life) but also social renewability.” The aim to become one of the leading supermarkets for renewability is not only a huge positive for the sanctity of the environment, it also paves the way for healthy and invited competition with other chains, to become king of the renewables will only further help the environment as a whole whilst also stimulating better decision making and clever strategy when concerning this area. The shift from classic cost cutting modes of thinking to a sustainable and future proof way of life is the new way for large companies to grow.
Speaking on the social impact the plan has had on the community: “The social renewability is something that’s grown with our international expansion and in both our UK and global stores we accept clothes donations to go to local areas respectfully. We have also continued down the social route with our food recycling and going a step beyond any other leading supermarket by having our waste products cooked for the homeless by volunteer chefs who show them skills. Our biggest challenge is broadening our renewable plans to keep them sufficient, but we are managing this well and the benefits can be seen not only in the company but also in our local area” The company seeks to increase the sustainability within local communities by reducing food and clothing waste by supplying it to those who need it most, not only are they being given the opportunity to be clothed and eat for free but are also given the skills needed to survive on their own without the produce being cooked for them, a skill revered by most homeless as more valuable to their survival and growth.
You can read more on the company’s plan here: Plan A 2025