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JULIA HAILES -
MARKS & SPENCER (M&S)
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I started working with M&S in 2002, advising
them on all issues to do with food. They say that my report helped them towards their highly
acclaimed Plan A policy. But in the last few years the focus of my
consultancy with them has been on packaging. I sit on their packaging expert advisory panel and have
written a number of consumer briefing sheets for them on the issue – in particular one on
carrier bags, which was accompanied by a video.
"Thank you for all of your challenges
and great ideas that have helped us develop
our strategy to 2020."
Helene Roberts, Head of Packaging, Food Division
(Feb10)
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M&S
INTRODUCES MARC BOLLAND (Jun10)
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| Marc Bolland's move from CEO of Morrisons to M&S has been widely publicised. Less well
know is what stance he plans to take on M&S's Plan A
initiative. The breakfast event hosted by M&S at the end of June was well
attended. Most of the questions were directed at Stuart Rose but I managed to direct one to
the incoming CEO, asking him for his views on Plan A and whether he planned to change anything.
He was non-commital about change but did appear to be signed up to the benefits of Plan
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JUDGING
M&S YOUR GREEN IDEA COMPETITION (May10)
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The £100,000 winning prize will need to be spent on greening an organisation of
your choice, such as a school or a charity. The Your
Green Idea competition was launched alongside M&S's announcement that it aims to
become the world's most sustainable retailer by 2015. I've been asked to be a judge alongside
M&S Chairman, Sir Stuart Rose and Jonathan Porritt, former director of Friends of the Earth and
founder of Forum for the Future. There's an
as yet un-named celebrity, who'll also be sitting on the judging panel. Entries have to
be submitted by May 16th.
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M&S
SUPPLIERS CONFERENCE ON PLAN A (Mar10)
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M&S suppliers came to be briefed on the M&S's groundbreaking Plan A
initiative. Sir Stuart Rose announced that M&S planned to be the world's most sustainable
retailer by 2015. I was asked to talk to packaging suppliers about key issues for
them. One particular them I covered in my presentation was the switch in emphasis away from
measuring the environmental impact of packaging from weight to carbon.
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EXPERT ADVISORY PANEL ON PACKAGING -
2008-2010
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Since 2008 I have sat on a expert advisory panel on packaging at
M&S. This is run by Rowland Hill, Helene Roberts and Mark Caul from
M&S. Other panel members include Jane Bickerstaffe from Incpen (Industry
Council for Packaging and the Environment) and Mark Barthel from WRAP (Material Change for a
Better Environment).
Changing pizza packaging at M&S (see picture) has saved 800 tonnes of
waste, which is the equivalent to all the packaging for fruit and veg
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M&S PLAN
A
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M&S launched their Plan A scheme in 2006. CEO, Stuart Rose heads the team and
they have a very impressive list of actions and initiatives covering issues across the
board from transport, packaging and re-usable hangers to food waste, refrigeration and
laundry labels in their clothes. I’ve been to the progress reports for Plan
since it started and in January 2008 I wrote an article about it for the Telegraph.
2009 I asked Stuart Rose whether he thought M&S could improve on its communications
to shareholders about Plan A (I think they could!) I've come across a number of
people who are asking why M&S is 'wasting' their time on environmental initiatives
whilst the share price tumbles. Stuart Rose was adamant that Plan A has been good for
the bottom line. He said that it might seem tempting to backslide on the commitments
made in better times but that he had no intention of doing this.
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PACKAGING
– CONSUMER FACT SHEETS 2008
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Public concern about over-packaging so often misses the point that we should be looking
at how to reduce the environmental impact of producing, distributing, storing, selling and
consuming food, rather than the amount of packaging waste we have to throw away.
Consider the fact that overall the carbon emissions from wasted packaging is one tenth of
that for food waste. So it's much more important to prevent food being thrown away
than to reduce packaging.
Here’s the consumer fact sheet I wrote for M&S on packaging in
2008.
And here’s a more technical briefing sheet aimed at business, government and NGOs,
that I also wrote for M&S in 2008 on packaging issues. This explains
M&S strategy, approach and policy recommendations in more detail. It hasn’t
been published by the company, so the only place to find it is on my website.
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CARRIER
BAGS – FACT SHEET AND VIDEO (2008)
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M&S took a lead in charging for carrier bags and have subsequently reduced the amount
handed out by a staggering 80%. My view is that this is a good initiative but that
the issue of carrier bags has been given far too much attention, given the relatively small
impact they have.
Early in 2008 I was asked by M&S to write a briefing paper on carrier bags, which they published on their
website. They also recorded a video podcast of me talking about the
subject. Click here for the video.
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FOOD
ADVICE (Oct07)
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In 2007 I was asked by M&S to help them in developing their food
strategy, thinking creatively about what innovations they might consider.
Clearly, sustainability issues relating to food are becoming increasingly
important. And, as M&S says, they may need to think the unthinkable.
Topics covered included climate change and food crops, vegetarianism, local sourcing,
wild and farmed fish and food waste.
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REPORT ON SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES IN FOOD SECTOR
(2002)
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I first started working with Marks & Spencer in 2002 when I was
commissioned to do a report on sustainability issues relating to the food sector.
The brief was to look at the broad drivers for change, to prioritise the key issues
affecting food, identify the key organisations shaping the debate and make
recommendations on what M&S should do in this area. They subsequently gave me
credit for helping them get Plan A off the ground.
"(Your report) is excellent. A superb piece of work
that is really going to help us move forward. So many many
thanks".
Mike Barry, Head of CSR at M&S
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