Our sustainable future
When you’ve been around as long as we have, you know how important it is to look to the future. We set out our sustainability plan back in 2007 and Plan A is our way of doing the right thing. As the sustainability challenges we face become more urgent, we’re putting all of our energy into becoming a net zero business. With Plan A as our guide, we’ve set big targets, transforming ten key areas, including reducing waste and emissions, sourcing more sustainable raw materials, trading ethically, and helping our customers lead healthier lifestyles. The scale and rate of climate change is critical - Plan A ensures we’re taking the right actions today to protect the planet tomorrow.
Explore M&S CareersBe remarkable
Our mission to achieve net zero status across our entire value chain by 2040 is a mission that touches every single person across M&S – that includes our colleagues, customers, and partners. Our people are supply chain experts, fashion designers, food specialists, customer service pros, data scientists, and more. They are remarkable. They make us the M&S we are today, and they are the people shaping the M&S of the future.
As one of our passionate, ambitious, and conscientious colleagues, our mission is also yours. The initiatives we put in place are there for you to own and uphold. By creating sustainable futures, we're not just protecting the future of the world we live in, we're also helping you, our people, and our future colleagues, to create remarkable careers with lasting impact that you can be proud of.
Doing the right thing
This is a time of big transformation for us – and you. No matter where you work, whether in one of our store teams, our Support Office or our Supply Chain, you have a vital part to play. We’ve set some ambitious targets and, by working together, we know we can achieve our goals. From accurately managing food waste to promoting our circular fashion programme, every action counts, no matter how small. As an own-brand retailer, we have greater control over our supply chain, so it’s up to us to evolve our products. This is our opportunity to make our planet a better place to live and work. Because there is no Plan B.
Our ambitions
We’re working to become a net zero business. So, the big question is how will we get there?
We pledge to:
- Ensure all our packaging is recyclable by 2025 (and for food packaging by the end of 2022)
- Reduce plastic food packaging by 30% (1 billion units) by 2027
- Double the number of vegan and vegetarian products by 2024
- Redistribute 100% of edible surplus by 2025
- Halve food waste by 2030
- Source 100% of our soy from verified deforestation-free regions
- Responsibly source 100% of our palm oil by 2025
- Only use 100% verified recycled polyester by 2025
- Reduce carbon emissions by over a third by 2025 and more than half by 2030
Sparking change
Your skills and determination will spark the change we need to stay relevant to our customers and their changing expectations. You could be designing recyclable packaging, putting new data systems in place to capture emissions across the business, or working with suppliers and business partners to help customers lead healthier lifestyles.
Whatever you do, you’ll be part of our move towards a more resilient M&S. Making changes today that will make us fit for the future. Straight out of school or stepping up to senior management, whatever your stage in your career, the opportunities to spark change are right here at M&S. Our colleagues can be proud to work in a business that does the right thing. This is change. This is our planet. This is Plan A.
Making a difference
Want to stay updated with all the latest about Plan A and how we’re bringing sustainability to retail? Visit our corporate website below.
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