1. An update on the latest legislation
and retail recycling initiatives
Jane Milne
Director of Business Environment
British Retail Consortium
www.brc.org.uk/retailingclimate

2. The importance of retailing in the
UK economy
UK retail sales were £265bn
in 2007, larger than the
combined economies of
Denmark and Portugal
The retail sector generates
almost 8% of UK GDP
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And employs 11% of the total
UK workforce

3. The British Retail Consortium
OUR VISION To work with
our members to create a
vibrant and sustainable
retail industry
OUR MISSION
• Promoting and defending
retailers' interests
• Advising retailers of
threats and opportunities
• Improving the perceptions
of retailing in the UK

4. Our members
"The BRC offers a
valuable service to its
members; providing
information and expertise
as well as representing the
industry to Government
and in the media on the
important issues of the
day."
Sir Terry Leahy,
Chief Executive, Tesco

5. Our markets • Town centre
• Community shops
• Retail parks
• Shopping malls
• On-line and mail
order

6. What is sustainability?

7. What do UK customers say?
• Retailers (supermarkets) are seen as the most
responsible sector with regard to climate change,
ahead of the general public, electricity and car
companies, food and drink manufacturers and
government
• But there is still more to be done - only a minority are
satisfied with current efforts on sustainability
• Collaboration is seen as an essential challenge if
retailers are to move the agenda forward significantly
Sustainability Issues in the Retail Sector, Ipsos MORI 2007

8. What do the legislators say?
Regulations and policies being elaborated
at all levels, for example:
• EU Sustainable Consumption and
Production proposals
• UK Climate Change Act
• Defra and Scottish Government Waste
strategies
• London Councils Shopping Bags Bill

9. Current Regulatory and Voluntary
Initiatives
• WEEE
• Batteries
• Scottish Government zero waste
strategy
• Courtauld II

10. Why a retail initiative?
“ During the next three to five years, most companies
in.. ..heavy industries will need to act on climate change
in a major way. Sectors that have so far featured less
prominently in the debate, such as consumer goods, high
tech, and financial services, will have to get moving as
well.”
Business Strategies for Climate Change, The McKinsey Quarterly 2008
“Few believe that retailers alone can resolve the issue
and recognise that shoppers will also need to play a
part.”
Sustainability Issues in the Retail Sector, Ipsos MORI 2007

11. A Better Retailing Climate
• Sector-wide
• Leading actors and
those taking early steps
• Single, clear message
• Seeking to work with
partners to deliver real
change

12. Our goals
1. Reduce the direct environmental impact of our
businesses
2. Manage our climate risks
3. Help our customers, staff and suppliers to
reduce their environmental impacts and
vulnerabilities
4. Engage in the public policy debate and support
the Government in meeting its climate change
goals
5. Report our achievements transparently and
consistently

13. QuickTime™ and a
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15. Reduce the direct environmental
impact of our businesses
– Cutting energy-related emissions from buildings by
15%
– Aiming for a reduction of 15% in energy-related
transport CO2 emissions from stores deliveries
– Measuring water-use in sites accounting for 75% of
usage, and setting targets for reductions
– Diverting less than 50% of our waste to landfill,
minimising waste from operations and
managing sustainably unavoidable waste

16. Help our customers to reduce their
environmental impacts/ vulnerabilities
• Helping customers to understand more about climate
change
• Helping them make more informed decisions
about
– Energy efficient and low carbon products
– Environmentally responsible ways to access our services
– Recycling and waste disposal
• And providing or supporting
– Reduced consumer packaging waste
– Recycling and end of life product disposal

17. Help our suppliers to reduce their
environmental impacts/ vulnerabilities
– Working with our suppliers to understand better
• The carbon footprint of their production
systems
– And to offer products that
• Have a lower carbon footprint/higher energy
efficiency
• Are more sustainable
• Have the most sustainable, and minimum
effective, packaging

18. Packaging and sustainability - perceptions
• Consumer packaging
makes up about 20% of
household waste
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• And occupies about
80% of their
consciousness!
• Fresh produce is most
often referred to

19. Waste reduction: the waste hierarchy
• UK retailers support
the Government’s
approach to resource
conservation
• But need also to
consider the purpose
of packaging
• And put consumers at
the heart of the
process when
designing systems

20. Packaging and sustainability - role
Packaging is designed
to:
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• Deliver statutory QuickTime™ and a
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dates, recipe
suggestions

21. Future developments: technical
• Minimising
appropriate to market
• Lightweighting
• Maximising
recyclability
• Bulk/denser
transporting
• ‘Smart’ packaging

22. Future developments: communications
• Need increasingly to
‘justify’ packaging i.e. it
must be seen to be
adding value
• And must have a life
beyond first use
• Closed loops are the
ultimate goal
• But other acceptable
solutions must also be
developed/explained

23. Working together in a sustainable future
• Governments,
customers, retailers all
want sustainably
produced goods, with
minimal waste
• Retailers are looking for
suppliers who can
deliver this vision
• Innovation in packaging
will be key to delivery