John Lewis takes aim at ‘throwaway’ culture in retail sector

John Lewis has promised £1m to deal with the retail industry’s “throwaway” culture. 

The worker-owned company is contacting on teachers, charities and little enterprises to pitch ideas to assist slice waste and pollution throughout meals, textiles and household merchandise. 

It will give grants among £150,000 and £300,000 to the most modern thoughts to problem the industry’s “outdated make/use/toss away” design. John Lewis lifted the fund from sales of 10p plastic luggage about a two-yr interval.

Marija Rompani of John Lewis said: “We are living in a planet of finite supplies and we will need to commence guarding them right before it’s way too late.

“This is why we’re specially searching for assignments that are regenerative and can do away with squander or pollution from the layout phase and in the end safeguard character.”

John Lewis is doing work with Hubbub, a charity and social organization that focuses on sustainability.

The retailer claimed the whole removing of single use provider luggage would likely reduce the availability of revenues for identical money in the foreseeable future, “but we will generally be seeking for approaches to assist innovation”.

In May, John Lewis stores in Cheltenham, Kingston and Leeds started trialling the elimination of one use plastic carrier baggage.

In 2019 it released a identical £1m fund to reduce plastic waste and it picked five winners from around 150 apps.

They integrated a task that utilised mussels to aid stem the stream of microplastics from polluted estuaries and coastal water.

 Any conclusions from John Lewis’ “Circular Future Fund” will be shared with the industry.