Figuring out how to let #Just1Change help combat climate change can be difficult-but an important issue is deciding where to shop every week.

As part of our ongoing climate series, we ask all major supermarkets to review their environmental practices and make changes where possible.

We also asked them questions from you, our readers, and their customers based on what you want to know about their plans for a cleaner future. 

We hope these big companies realize that it’s time to “set aside” certain practices that increase plastic pollution, increase energy use, or cause food waste — and put forward aggressive plans — many of which have already experimented or promised in the future.

The answers to these questions vary, but here, we will study the two most popular high-end supermarket chains operating in the UK today: Marks & Spencer and Waitrose.

Although Waitrose ended up being slightly higher than Marks & Spencer in terms of green ticks, both supermarkets are keen to emphasize the plans already in place-for example, considering the promotion of more meat-free options, M&S promised to sell vegetarian and vegan products The amount doubles by 2024.

However, Waitrose stated that it believes that meat will continue to play an important role in a healthy diet, so it will continue to source only the highest quality meat that is carefully produced for the planet.

The customer's replenishment plan was also praised. M&S provided the unpackaged replenishable grocery concept Fill Your Own, which is currently operating in 13 stores and includes more than 60 series of replenishable grocery items.

At the same time, Waitrose's Unpacked is planned to be piloted for the first time in 2019 and has been launched in its four stores. Waitrose also encourages shoppers to bring their own containers, bottles and bags to the store, and then weigh and fill them with groceries, such as Rugan. Pasta, cereals, coffee, frozen fruits, meat and fish. 

However, disappointingly, both retailers refused to say whether they would consider severing ties with suppliers who would not take more steps to protect the environment. 

In terms of our other efforts to inquire about the store, this is what they told us: 

Both retailers stated that there are currently no plans to replace plastic bags at the checkout counter with paper bags-but this is not just a direct rejection, because they have already provided a series of reusable bags. When providing further explanation, they believe that the effort to make paper bags will not be as environmentally friendly as their current solutions.

It is also worth noting that Marks and Spencer was the first major retailer to introduce handbag fees in 2008.

One of the biggest complaints of our readers is the excessive use of plastic packaging-nearly 70% of our plastic waste is generated by plastic packaging-especially when it comes to fresh fruits and vegetables, we asked each store what they are taking Measures to reduce this situation.

Both Marks & Spencer and Waitrose said they are actively looking for solutions-Waitrose now has 132 fruit and vegetable products sold in bulk or separately, and M&S's goal is to recycle 100% of food packaging next year.

However, with the reduction of packaging, the problem of preventing food waste has also been raised in response. For example, a certain kind of packaging may help to extend the shelf life, thereby reducing waste, so some people suggest finding other sustainable ways to do this is actually more environmentally friendly, rather than completely abandoning all forms of packaging. 

Another question of our readers is the use of plastic bottles instead of glass bottles. However, like most supermarkets we surveyed, Waitrose and M&S chose not to go this route because they both felt that it was not as environmentally friendly as using recyclable plastic bottles.

In terms of shrink packaging, Marks & Spencer reports that it is actively removing the plastic packaging used to bundle individual products together. At the same time, Waitrose tells us that it is the first British retailer to try to remove plastic shrink wrap from multiple purchases of cans in 2019-and has removed disposables from millions of self-labeled canned foods Plastic shrink wrap, some of which come from their Everyday Essentials series. Since then, the store’s disposable plastics have been significantly reduced, saving more than 45 tons per year.  

According to Nina Schrank, head of the plastics department of Greenpeace in the UK, Marks and Spencer has made great strides in its plan to reduce plastic products this year.

She explained: "Their'fill your own' initiative may be the beginning of a truly major change for the entire enterprise."'Currently in 13 stores, we hope to see this product expand and become available nationwide. We also hope to see them provide customers with more choices of bulk fruits and vegetables.

Ms. Shrank added that Waitrose has been at the top of the Greenpeace and EIA supermarket rankings for the past two years. "In order to maintain this status, we look forward to hearing more about their reuse plans," she said.

"As part of this, we hope to make a market-leading commitment to expand their current'no packaging' pilot program operating in four stores and make 25% of their total packaging reusable and reusable by 2025. filling."

Consider using paper bags instead of plastic bags

Remove all plastic packaging from fresh fruits and vegetables

Consider replacing plastic baby bottles with glass

Stop selling multipacks in plastic shrink wrap

Use only energy-saving bulbs

Reduce use outside of business hours

Replace the open refrigeration unit with a closed refrigeration unit

More choices to buy food separately instead of multiple packages

As many customers worry that their supermarkets will waste energy, we want to know what measures the stores are taking to curb this situation. 

Both M&S and Waitrose told us that they use energy-saving light bulbs, and Waitrose currently also derives electricity from renewable energy sources such as solar, water, and wind. 

Looking at the electricity consumption outside business hours, we found that Waitrose has installed sensors to ensure efficient electricity consumption, and Marks & Spencer is actively reducing electricity consumption outside business hours. At the same time, each store also reported that they are working hard to improve the way they use air conditioners.

In addressing the request to change the open refrigeration unit to a closed refrigeration unit, both stores recognized that refrigeration and refrigeration are important contributors to their carbon footprint. Every company has introduced or tried new technologies to improve efficiency, and Waitrose added that it has been working hard to reduce their "leak rate"-it claims to be at the leading level in the industry. 

Although M&S's overall goal is to become a zero-waste company, it did not disclose how much waste it generates each year. The retailer also did not tell us whether it will provide more options to buy food individually instead of multiple packaging.

However, it did report that the store promised to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030 (relative to the 2017/18 baseline of our store operated by M&S in the UK) and redistribute 100% of edible leftover food by 2025 .

Later this month, the store will also launch the Sparking Change Food Waste Challenge, hoping to provide participants with resources and tools, including recipes and meal planners that help reduce waste.

When it comes to waste, Waitrose did reveal its figure: 5,526 tons in the UK. Like Marks & Spencer, this supermarket also aims to become one of the most goal-oriented sustainable companies in the UK, and has developed a dedicated ethical and sustainable development strategy to help them achieve this. 

In addition, it tells us that it has donated the equivalent of more than 7 million meals since it partnered with FareShare, the UK's national charity food redistributor network. The supermarket has just announced two major commitments-to reduce food waste in the entire supply chain by 50% by 2030, and to reduce food waste in British households by half by 2030 by supporting customers in their own efforts at home.

When we told the store that their customers wanted to know what they were doing to help the environment, Waitrose said its goal was to achieve zero net carbon by 2035.

The supermarket also reported that they have carried out a trial in 37 branches to help customers avoid soft plastic packaging that is difficult to recycle. Using the recycling points used to recycle plastic bags in the past, they can accept flexible plastics after modification, including crisp packaging, sweet wrappers, bubble wrap, and plastic wrap.

At the same time, Marks and Spencer pointed out that it is the first major retailer to launch a plastic recycling program in 2019, and hopes to launch it in all stores by March 2022.

Since 2012, the store has been a carbon-neutral company in its own operations. It also told us that it has set a series of interim goals, including a commitment to zero deforestation for palm oil and soybean procurement by 2025, as well as reducing 30% to the number of plastic food packaging in 2027.

Waitrose also emphasized that it is committed to net zero greenhouse gas emissions from UK farms by 2035, and stated that its own farm in Lakeford, Hampshire will be an important part of helping to achieve this goal.

Anna Jones, Head of Food and Forestry at Greenpeace UK, checked our results, especially between Waitrose and Marks & Spencer. She said: “At least it’s encouraging to see Marks and Spencer’s mention of the zero-deforestation pledge, but let’s not forget that its original goal is 2020, so it gave itself another five years. Waitrose promises to sell less and better. The meat is good, but we need everyone to have access to healthy food that does not cost the planet.

Another expert we interviewed was Jessica Sinclair Taylor, policy director at Feedback, a food and environmental NGO, to understand her thoughts on the two stores’ responses. "Marks & Spencer’s evidence-oriented approach shows that they are willing to try new ways to help customers reduce waste," she said. "But like all retailers, they are hindered by a business model that relies on Customers sell as much food as possible—with the help of promotions, store layouts, and other factors—even if some of the food may end up being wasted. "

'Marks & Spencer is committed to increasing the sales of plant-based foods to help the planet, but did not recognize the other side of the coin: they need to reduce the sales of meat and dairy products, especially those products that are most harmful to people’s health, like processed meats. '

When talking about Waitrose, Jessica said: “Their new commitment to reduce supply chain waste by 50% and help reduce household food waste by half by 2030 is important: this is what we should take from all retailers in the past 10 years. The ambition seen there. Waitrose is also working with their supply chain to develop more sustainable meat, but this needs to be matched with a clear plan to cut meat and dairy sales by 2030.

As part of Time to Shelve, Metro.co.uk requires all nine supermarkets to commit to continuing to shelve any bad practices that affect our response to climate change. We also ask them to take seriously the comments of our readers-their customers-and work harder to find ways to make shopping more environmentally friendly. 

To understand the development of each store, click here to see the results:

For more such reports, please check our news page.

Contact our news team by sending an email to webnews@metro.co.uk.

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