Page 16 Packaging, waste and recycling


Carrier bags
The total number of carrier bags given away by retailers fell by roughly a billion to 12.4 billion last year, but that is still an average of 233 bags per person. Although they represent just 0.3% of landfilled waste, the Chancellor has announced the intention to introduce legislation forcing supermarkets to charge for plastic carrier bags if voluntary action to encourage customers to recycle and reuse bags does not bring about a significant reduction.

As a signatory to a national Voluntary Code of Practice on Carrier Bags, we have been working with the Government-funded Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and other retailers to reduce the environmental impact of carrier bags by 25% by the end of 2008.


Initiatives to encourage customers to help us achieve this target include:
>providing a variety of reusable bags
>introducing a reusable Bag for Life in all shops in March 2008
>using 25% recycled material in our standard plastic bags and following a successful trial, rolling out a bag made from 95% recycled content by the end of September
>trialling carrier bag recycling facilities in Sheffield, Newcastle, Norwich and Southampton.

(Picture of three mattresses)


Putting a waste stream to bed
Following a successful trial, we are introducing a recycling scheme for mattresses and divan sets, which we plan to roll out across all shops over the coming year. This is a chargeable service, in partnership with The Furniture Recycling Company, a sister division to bed manufacturer Hypnos Beds Ltd, where our drivers take away customers' old beds when they deliver a new one. The old beds are sent to a shredding plant in Nottingham, where they are cut into strips, the metal components removed by magnets and the wood, foam and fabrics separated. All four components are then fully recycled.


"Because we are going to the customer's house anyway, no additional carbon emissions are created, and as 100% of the bed is recycled, the service will reduce waste sent to landfill."
John Justice Project Manager, Customer Delivery Development, John Lewis


Weight of waste recycled tonnes per £m sales
(Horizontal bar chart with the following figures:)
2003/04 1,965
2004/05 2,631
2005/06 2,543
2006/07 3,337
2007/08 4,490

('Recycling' logo)

Magna Park plans to recycle all its waste and packaging, and become the Partnership's first landfill-free Distribution Centre.


Waste and recycling
Our waste and recycling procedures continue to deliver substantial cost savings and a step change in our waste recycling. We are currently on track to meet our 2010 target to recycle 50% of all our waste. In 2007/08, John Lewis recycled 4,490 tonnes of its waste (39%), a relative increase of 36%.

In an attempt to maximise recycling opportunities across the Partnership, John Lewis has teamed up with sister company Waitrose on several initiatives. For example, more than 25 tonnes of cardboard and polythene are backhauled from Waitrose Rushden each month by John Lewis vehicles to its central Distribution Centre in Northampton, which makes the best use of available lorry space and reduces our dependence on specialist contractor collections.

A similar arrangement sees cardboard and polythene bales from Waitrose Comely Bank, as well as segregated waste material from John Lewis Edinburgh, backhauled to our local Distribution Centre

The necessary focus and drive for such schemes comes from the newly formed Recycling and Waste team, which means our business is now better placed to achieve our published recycling targets, and we can provide Partners with clear information and simple guidance about effective recycling.