Marks & Spencer has announced that more than three quarters of the cotton it uses is now from sustainable sources, and the retailer is on track to achieve 100% responsibly-sourced cotton by next year.
The retailer made the announcement as part of its annual Plan A report, which highlights progress made against 100 commitments to improve people, planet and health.
Other highlights in the 2018 Plan A report include the raising of £25.7 million for community programes; the statistic that 83 per cent of M&S products now have an eco or ethical quality above the market norm, and that the retailer has now reused or recycled 30 million items of clothing with Oxfam.
In addition, it has donated some 2.3 million meals to food surplus charities via social network Neighbourly.
Vital Role
“Across our business we’re delivering better value for our customers, cutting prices and improving our products," said Mike Barry, director of Plan A and sustainable business at M&S.
"Plan A plays a vital role in this transformation as Better Cotton equals better value because our customers care about where products come from and how they are produced. That’s why customers are at the heart of Plan A and why we’re helping to democratise sustainability by placing an eco or ethical quality into every product.”
Marks & Spencer is a member of the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), which uses a ‘mass balance approach’ which means that when retailers and brands source cotton BCI Farmers see the benefit for the cotton they produce.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
