Julia Hailes MBE - Marks and Spencer

EXPERT ADVISORY PANEL ON PACKAGING - 2008-2009

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

Packaging at M&S

M&S PLAN A

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

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)

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)
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)

Mike Barry at M&S

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