M&S to remove 5.5 million units of plastic every year as it swaps to paper packaging for garlic baguettes

• M&S Food is the UK’s first retailer to move single and twin garlic baguettes into paper packaging
• The change is expected to remove 5.5M units of plastic from M&S’ Food business every year
• As part of Plan A, M&S has committed to remove 1 billion units of plastic packaging by 2027

Marks & Spencer has announced it is the first UK retailer to move to paper packaging on garlic baguettes, removing 5.5 million units of plastic.

All of M&S’ single and twin garlic baguettes are now available in FSC approved paper packaging which can be easily recycled as paper at-home. A popular choice with M&S customers, the single garlic baguette is M&S’ biggest seller in garlic breads selling 4.3 million units each year.

Reducing plastic packaging is one of the key issues M&S customers care strongly about and the retailer has a leading track record of taking action, such as being the first national retailer to introduce a fully recyclable paper fibre coffee cup and lid earlier this year. Other industry leading moves, include  switching from a plastic bag to a paper band on bunches of bananas and switching key produce lines such as British Collection vine tomatoes, mushrooms and tropical fruit to cardboard solutions

At the end of last year, M&S also announced that it met its target to remove 75 million units of plastic in 2023/24 four months earlier than planned. The brand has committed to remove one billion units by 2027, as part of its Plan A roadmap to net zero by 2040.

Lucinda Langton, Head of Sustainability at M&S Food, said: “We know our customers rank packaging as a top priority and M&S is committed to reducing plastic packaging as a key part of our Plan A roadmap to Net Zero. Its a good step forward to remove 5.5m units from our supply chain and we continue to work with our suppliers to find innovative new materials, processes, and equipment so we can make change at scale. These changes mean our customers can trust that the M&S quality products they love are made, sourced, and packaged with care.”