Marks and Spencer encourage Circular Economy
Mike Barry, head of sustainable business at Marks and Spencer, concluded his speech at the annual WRAP conference with, “Any business that thinks it cannot participate in these new models (of circular economy) – forget it!”
Barry explained how the M&S Plan A initiative saved the business £105m net last year, with concepts such as creating energy to be used in company stores through anaerobic digestion from waste food and simple but effective ideas such as reusing clothes hangers.
How does your business fit in?
What does circular economy mean for businesses across the UK and indeed the rest of the world? In the current economy every company will be looking for ways to save money and using M&S as a prime example, the extremely simple process of re-use is a key concept for the future of businesses. Does your company buy a lot of one item that it typically never sees again? Could these items be recovered? Could they be re-used?
How does RPS perform Circular Economy?
Since 2002 RPS has recovered pallets and transit packaging items for re-use by its clients. The majority of packed goods delivered to a customer will be on that wooden thing that, once used, gets chucked to one side without a second thought. How much did your business spend on that wooden thing? £8, £10 or maybe more? Doesn’t sound like a lot when you look at individual prices per pallet but if you purchase upwards of 10,000 pallets a year that could equate to £100,000. When you look at the overall cost that your business has spent buying that wooden thing, it’s hard to think that it could now be sat idle in a customer’s yard, or worse, being crushed and sent to landfill.
The vast majority of transit packaging, particularly wooden pallets, can be re-used. RPS can demonstrate the benefits of circular economy through the simple process that we expertly implement to help generate dramatic cost savings. A recovered pallet, one of your company’s assets, can be re-used for the job it was intended to do, and at a reduced cost compared to new. A recovered pallet is also exempt from packaging waste tax as it is not made from new materials which enter the UK waste stream. Please check our case studies for examples of how we have implemented a circular economy process to help generate valuable cost savings for our clients.
You can do it too, and with little effort
Please contact us for more information, or visit our website to check out our services to see how circular economy can be implemented in your business. Everyone wants to save some money . . . we can help make a start.
For the full version of the MRW article on Marks and Spencer’s sustainability initiatives and circular economy please visit MRW.co.uk/8638224.article
