The Less Packaging Company and Marks & Spencer have developed an innovative online packaging management tool, called Packspec. Packspec enables M&S to communicate and control best practice retail and transit packaging across its global supply base – helping to deliver both environmental and business benefits.

The new online tool is in keeping with Plan A, M&S’ environmental and ethical programme. The retailer is committed to reducing its general merchandise transit packaging by 25 per cent by 2015, as well as continuing to reduce packaging on the products it sells.

Throughout the last year, Less Packaging has reduced the number of different packaging formats for M&S bras from over 90 to just three – saving over 100 tonnes of packaging. This standardisation also provides cost savings achieved through economies of scale and increased levels of compliance throughout the supply chain.

Kim Phillips, M&S’ head of GM packaging, says: “When we launched Plan A in 2007 we set ambitious targets to reduce our packaging by 25 per cent - we’ve achieved this and gone even further with a 46 per cent reduction, but there is still more we can do. That’s why when we extended Plan A in 2010; we set a 25 per cent reduction target for our transit packaging by 2015. Through innovation and using unique tools like Packspec, we’re confident we can achieve this.”

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