M&S puts a green spin on beach litter

BusinessGreen staff
25 April 2014

Tweet
Facebook
LinkedIn
Send to

Retailer launches Frisbee made of recycled plastic cleared from UK beaches

Hurrah! The sun is out and so the Tank has rammed its stockinged feet into sandals, perched a hilarious ‘kiss me quick' hat atop an already purpling brow and jumped on a train to the coast.

While we would usually spend the day impressing both the ladies and the local constabulary with those fraying Speedos we've proudly sported since Year 8 swim classes and kicking over children's sandcastles, this time the Tank has a new diversion. And it's not just any beach toy. No, this is an M&S beach toy.

You see, the good people at Marks and Sparks have launched a new Frisbee - a concept no doubt arising from a rather literal interpretation of a directive from on high to toss a few ideas around the boardroom.

But, as ever, there is a green spin - the Beach Clean Frisbee is made with 100 per cent recycled plastic, some of which was waste scooped from the very same beaches the disc will be lost on this summer.

Last April, M&S customers and employees helped clear 300km of coastline, with litter from six beaches segregated, cleaned and reprocessed before being transformed into Frisbee form by Leicester-based company Make a Material Difference. It all forms part of M&S's Plan A sustainability strategy, which also pioneered ‘shwopping': a scheme encouraging shoppers to drop off old clothes for recycling when buying new ones.

The Frisbee is on sale for £2.50 at six ‘coastal' M&S stores - Belfast (Abbey Centre), Bexhill, Lytham St Annes, Silverlink Retail Park, Weston Super Mare and Edinburgh Kinnaird - with 50p from each sale going to the Marine Conservation Society.

"We've managed to transform waste, taking it off beaches where it threatens marine life, into a brand new product that is fun for our customers and raises money for MCS' ongoing work to protect our seas," said Mike Barry, director of Plan A, while waving ravenous seagulls away from his 99 Flake. "That's Plan A in action, a volunteer event that engages customers, saves precious raw materials and gives back to charity - all with a business case behind it."

This year's M&S Big Beach Clean-up will aim to clear 140 UK beaches and canals from 24th to 30th April and aims to beat last year's 30 tonne haul - an aspiration that can only be thwarted by some clever clogs demanding a mass game of Frisbee.