George @ Asda’s, Jade Snart, shares how the retailer is driving sustainable change across its business.
Jade Snart, senior sustainability manager at George @ Asda, urged everyone to “think differently” during her presentation at the Sustainability in Licensing Conference earlier today (November 25).
Jade – who was updating delegates on the retailer’s sustainable initiatives including the Creating Change for Better campaign and its partnership with Preloved Kilo – said she truly believes “that together we can make a difference”.
She also urged the 500 attendees of day two of the virtual SILC to “think about the small differences and these could actually make a big difference to the grand scheme of things”.
Jade outlined the five pillars of the George for Good initiative – stating “as the second largest retailer in the UK, we have to make a difference” – which are responsibly sourced fibres, zero tolerance of hazardous waste, people, packaging and ‘George Cares’ (which is how it is pledging to support its customers to reduce their impact on the environment by enhancing its recycling facilities and promoting longevity of garments through customer care).
When it comes to packaging for example, Jade highlighted that by 2021 80% of packaging will be fully recycable.
From this year, all care labels will be produced on recycled polyester ribbon and all cardboard garment packaging from 100% FSC managed forests.
Hanger-less denim fixtures being trialed are removing 2,000 hangers, with multiple hanger trials having been launched in Asda’s first sustainable store concept in Middleton. The black hooks on polybags are also being changed to clear to enable kerbside recycling.
The retailer is also driving circularity of fashion with a repurpose, reuse and recycle mantra. A pop-up secondhand clothing shop in partnership with Breast Cancer Now launched in 2019 which acted as a “real eye opener” for consumers, said Jade.
A further nine stores like the Middleton one are also being planned with Jade saying that customers have “really been engaging” with the trial store.
However, she was keen to point out that the initiative is not just “a one store thing”. “This really is about us making a difference throughout the whole estate,” she said.
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