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With 50 stores across the UK, John Lewis is a stalwart of many a British high street, and this week its Oxford branch has made some fairly impressive strides towards becoming a more sustainable store for the future.
The eight reforms, which include ditching plastic bags and bubble wrap, and encourage the return of empty beauty products and hangers, are a pilot which, if successful, could provide a blueprint for other branches, and potentially save thousands of tonnes of plastic and packaging from going to landfill.
“Our customers have told us they want us to help them reduce their impact on the planet and that reducing and recycling packaging is key for them,” said Stephen Cawley, Partner and Head of Sustainability at John Lewis. “Our message that we want customers to take away just the product that they love and reduce and reuse the packaging that they don’t will be clearly communicated throughout the shop.
“We will listen to customer feedback on this blueprint before deciding what we should introduce to other shops.”
The 8 changes you can expect to see on a trip to John Lewis in Oxford:
1. Removal of 5p plastic carrier bags
In a first for a department store, the shop has removed 5p plastic carrier bags to reduce the amount of plastic it produces. The retailer will encourage customers to bring a bag, or buy a reusable one instead. Over a year it’s estimated that this alone could save 5,000 tonnes of plastic.
2. Reusable ‘Click & Collect’ packaging
The Oxford shop will also become the first in the UK to trial a reusable ‘Click and Collect’ bag made from 100% recycled materials. One in four orders will be delivered to the shop in these reuseable bags, meaning customers will be handed their orders without any additional packaging.
3. Removal and recycling of ‘Click & Collect’ packaging
John Lewis staff, known as partners, will also offer to keep and recycle the cardboard and single use plastic bags used to transport other ‘Click and Collect’ orders.
4. Bye-bye bubble wrap
In place of bubble wrap, the retailer will trial new recyclable wrapping for china and glass products bought in the shop.
5. Hanger returns
The retailer will also be encouraging customers to bring back any hangers they no longer need, so they can be reused or recycled.
6. Eco home deliveries
Customers booking home deliveries with a shop Partner will be offered the chance to help reduce carbon emissions and traffic by selecting an ‘Eco-delivery’ slot when a van would be near their home.
7. ‘BeautyCycle’
As well as reducing the amount of packaging it gives out, John Lewis Oxford will reward ‘my John Lewis’ customers who bring back five of their used beauty products’ packaging in exchange for £5 off their next beauty purchase at John Lewis & Partners. The beauty product recycling scheme, called ‘BeautyCycle’, was tested earlier this year and this week is being permanently introduced to 36 John Lewis shops which have a beauty department.
8. Fashion BuyBack
Launched earlier this month, ‘BuyBack’ rewards customers for returning up to three items of pre-loved clothing from any of the brands stocked by John Lewis in return for £3 per item. This has already been rolled out across all John Lewis stores.
The trials in Oxford are part of a broader commitment to sustainability which has already seen John Lewis pilot mattress recycling and Sofa Takeback services. Last year, the retailer worked with third parties to collect and reuse over 27,000 used electrical products, and recycle approximately 2,000 used sofas and 55,000 mattresses.
John Lewis & Partners has committed to making all of its own brand product packaging either easily recyclable or reusable by 2023.
