M&S takes on plastic waste with ‘bring your own bag’ scheme

Marks & Spencer is stepping up its war on plastic waste by launching a ‘bring your own bag’ initiative at hundreds of stores. 

Online orders are usually packaged in green sealed plastic bags when shoppers pick them up.

But across 251 of the retailer’s stores, customers will need to bring their own bags for fashion and homeware orders.

This will save a whopping 10m units of plastic per year, M&S said.

Forgetful shoppers will be reassured that the retail giant will remind them of the policy at the online checkout and when they are notified that their order is ready to collect.

Stephen Langford, director of M&S.com, said yesterday that the retailer wants to use click & collect ‘to encourage a behaviour change that helps to reduce single use plastic consumption’.

A seven-month trial at 16 stores helped to remove more than 109,000 units of plastic from the shopping process.

Customers who used click & collect at the trial stores saw the initiative as ‘a simple action that, collectively, can make a big difference’, Langford said.

The High Street stalwart, which has 1,487 stores, hopes to expand the policy to all click & collect orders in the longer term.

The firm has a target of removing 75m units of plastic packaging in its clothing and home business.

M&S shares gained 3.2 per cent, or 4.95p, to 157.85p yesterday.