What is ESG?
ESG stands for Environmental, Social and Governance, often referred to as Sustainability. It represents a set of standards measuring a business’s impact on society, the environment and how transparent and accountable it is.
What is Sustainability?
Sustainability is the ability to exist and develop without depleting natural resources for the future.
Stay Sustainable whilst Grocery Shopping
Bring your own reusable shopper bags to Gyle while doing your grocery shop at Marks and Spencer or Morrisons. Both Morrisons and Marks and Spencer have a wide range of bags in many styles to choose from that you can use every time you shop.
You can also refill over 60 groceries at M&S, including pasta, rice, cereal, nuts, frozen fruit and the latest range of bake-at-home items such as all butter croissants, pain aux chocolats and apricot twists.
Travelling to Gyle
Reduce pollution by cycling to Gyle! We have bike racks at the 3 main entrances where you can lock your bike safely while you shop. Alternatively you can travel to Gyle by Tram, Bus and Train!
What actions are our stores taking?
We’re proud to have so many sustainability-focused brands with us at Gyle. Here’s a bit about what they’re doing to reduce their environmental impact on the planet.
Three:
• Committed to limiting their effect on the local and global environment
• Reducing waste and promoting reuse and recycling
• Measuring emissions and setting a carbon reduction strategy
• Working with our people, partners and suppliers to improve their environmental impact.
Bank of Scotland:
From discounted lending for green purposes and investing in clean growth to improving the energy efficiency of buildings and vehicles; Bank of Scotland offer a range of tools, products and services to help businesses achieve green and net zero ambitions.
Barrhead Travel
Barrhead Travel’s sustainability pledge is to educate customers and suppliers to ensure that the destinations and communities they serve will grow and prosper for generations to come.
Suppliers Barrhead Travel work with undergo a rigorous assessment to ensure they adopt the best in class health and safety and sustainability standards.
Boots
Boots has a rich legacy of operating responsibly simply because it’s the right thing to do. Finding ways to make our Bootprint as light as possible is fundamental to keeping their business and communities thriving. Also, the way Boots source products and dispose of waste is all key to a responsible future for all. Read more HERE
Card Factory
Card Factory recognises the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals as a helpful tool to develop the Group’s sustainability objectives. The key goals relevant to Card Factory are:
• Responsible Consumption and Production
• Climate Action
• Life on Land
Chisholm Hunter
Chisholm Hunter recognise their responsibilities and the part they have to play in ensuring our diamond supply is sourced free from conflict and the support they must devote towards the implementation and success of the government & UN certified Kimberley Process. As a retailer they are in full compliance with the guidelines laid down by the World Diamond Council in ‘The Essential Guide to Implementing the Kimberley Process’. They require written guarantee from all suppliers that they meet their obligations under the Kimberley Process.
If you are buying a new electrical item, Chisholm Hunter will recycle your old one for free.
Clarks
Responsibility and sustainability have always been at the heart of Clarks. From the beginning, when a desire to prevent waste saw them craft their first pairs of shoes almost 200 hundred years ago, right through to present day, when they are working continuously to reduce their footprint.
• Over 90% of leather is sourced from Gold, Silver and Bronze rated tanneries
• Clarks/UNICEF partnership has diverted 1,700 tonnes of shoes from landfill
• Clarks source renewable electricity for over 80% of sites in Europe
Costa
As part of an ongoing effort to reduce its environmental impact, in November 2021, Costa changed the lining of the inside of our takeaway cups to be plant-based plastic, rather than an oil-based plastic.
The new cups have a 26% lower carbon footprint than a standard takeaway cup when recycled, which you can do at any Costa Coffee store nationwide – just hand them over to your barista or pop them in a cup recycling bin. Since May 2018, Costa have collected and recycled 155 million paper cups from their stores
EE are:
• finding new ways to cut the amount of energy they are using in networks and equipment
• controlling how much energy they are using in our offices
• using more renewable energy
• looking at how much fuel they use in their vehicles
• encouraging drivers to adopt more efficient driving techniques
• cutting down on business travel
How Eurochange support Sustain for Life:
• Sustain for Life are Eurochange’s registered charity which they actively support
• Each branch has a donation box which they encourage their shoppers to donate any spare change or currency
• In total they have raised over £500,000 and counting
Flying Tiger
Flying Tiger are proud to be recognised for their continued progress on sustainability, receiving an EcoVadis Silver rating.
This recent sustainability assessment is a significant improvement from last year’s Bronze medal and puts their sustainability progress in the top 10% of variety retail companies and the 25% of all the 90,000 companies globally rated by EcoVadis.
The annual EcoVadis rating covers four main themes; environment, labour & human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement.
Flying Tiger use this trusted and recognised sustainability rating to focus our efforts and to drive action plans. Flying Tiger Copenhagen is present in over 30 countries worldwide and they sell a cast variety of products, so it is a complex business and therefore even more satisfactory when the results are in.
Holland & Barrett Environmental Achievements
2010: Banned plastic bags in store
2012: The first retailer to ban microplastics in all products
2017: Eliminated plastic for all online orders, except for bottle jackets (they are working hard to find a sustainable replacement)
2019: Banned wet wipes, send zero waste to land fill, recycle all materials used in stores, support centres and distribution centres, promote environmental awareness to all colleagues, all stores, support centres and distribution centres have been fitted with light sensors to help reduce energy consumption
JD Sports
JD Sports embrace the necessity and urgency of localised and global environmental stewardship, including the reduction of carbon emissions as part of JD Group’s obligation to help identify and combat the immediate challenges of climate change.
Marks & Spencer
Marks & Spencer’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy is their way to help build a sustainable future, through commitments to tackle the main challenges facing businesses, our society and our planet today and in the future.
New Look
New Look are committed to being a force for good within the fashion industry. With their Kind rage, they are helping shoppers make more considered choices without compromising on the style you love
Next
50% reduction achieved against absolute scope 1 & 2 carbon reduction target by 2030, 97% diversion of waste from landfill achieved, new total value chain target set to reduce emissions by 40% by 2030 per £1m sales
O2
• Building a greener network, setting an ambitious commitment to be the first UK mobile network to reach net zero by 2025
• Currently one of three companies in the world to hold the highest level Carbon Trust Standard for supply chain
• O2 Recycle allows trade-in of old phones and devices for cash or other incentives. 90% of devices are re-used and they have a zero landfill policy on those that aren’t
• The first mobile network in the world to be awarded the Carbon Trust Triple Standard for carbon, waste and water
• Committed to reducing carbon emissions by at least 30% across their whole supply chain by 2025, as part of the wider Telefonica Group commitment
Optical Express
Optical Express has teamed up with Terracycle adopting the hub and spoke model to offer contact lens recycling at each of its clinics and high street locations nationwide. All discarded contact lenses, plastic film, pods and cardboard packaging can be recycled here, helping us take care of our environment.
Pandora
Sustainability and responsible business practices have been part of Pandora’s way of doing business since the very beginning. Pandora is committed to become a low-carbon, circular, inclusive and fair business, and they are taking significant steps towards this aspiration, including:
• Carbon neutral by 2025
• Toward recycled silver and gold
• Inclusion and diversity
• UNICEF partnership
• Human rights
• Sourcing
River Island Key Targets:
• Actively promote the recruitment of candidates from diverse social backgrounds.
• Acquire full visibility up to tier 4 in their products’ supply chain by 2023
• At least 50% of garments sustainably attributed by 2023
• Adoption of an MRSL by Top 50 suppliers by 2023
• Reduce water use in their products’ manufacturing process by 50% by 2030
• Zero waste to landfill from all UK operations by 2023
• Zero waste to landfill from our products’ manufacturing process by 2025
• Eliminating all single use plastics from our UK operations by 2022
• Introduce products’ end-of-life solution for customers by 2022
• Net-Zero carbon Emissions by the end of 2040
Schuh
schuh believe in preserving the environment for current and future generations. At schuh, this means; conserving energy, minimising waste, sourcing sustainable goods and services wherever possible and promoting a business culture that encourages re-use and recycling.
Sell Your Soles – Get £5 for every pair of unwanted shoes, simply bring them back to your local schuh store and they will give you £5 off a brand new pair
Specsavers
Specsavers are aiming for carbon-neutral and beyond, with a target to become climate positive by 2035 – taking out more C02 from the atmosphere than they put in. For them, this will involve reducing operational emissions, focusing on the materials they use, the way they’re produced, where they come from, how they get to Specsavers, packaging and product waste, as well as what happens to products once they reach the end of their life.
Starbucks
Taking care of the environment is imperative to the future of coffee and coffee farmers, and to the world we live in. Coffee wouldn’t be possible without the farmers around the world who grow it. That’s why Starbucks work alongside them to support sustainable farming practices and their communities
Superdrug
Superdrug believe that delivering accessible retail shouldn’t cost the earth. Consistently meeting best environmental practices means that all of us are able to respect the planet whenever and however we can
• 85% recycling target of all waste generated by the business by 2020, all waste is processed in their own recycling depot and nothing is sent to landfill
• 90% packaging that they use will be recyclable by 2021, in 2017 they switched cotton buds from plastic to a paper stem
The Body Shop
Refill Scheme – The Body Shop are rolling out refill stations and plan to have this in 500 stores by the end of 2022
Recycled Plastics – In the first year The Body Shop purchased 250 tonnes of Community Fair Trade recycled plastic, which they have used in shampoo and conditioner bottles
The Perfume Shop
Feel Good When You Smell Good – The Perfume Shop will reward you for joining them in being responsible, so bring your empty bottles back to them in store and you’ll get 10% off as a thank you to redeem in store
The Works
Shoppers can be confident in the fact that The Works products have been created in safe, acceptable and sustainable working conditions.
Timpson
New design of garment bags which can be used at least 30 times, changing hangers from plastic to recycled plastics, phasing out plastic bags and replacing them with paper
Trespass
Trespass has partnered with the #RoamResponsibly campaign in their mission to promote responsible outdoor access. Wild camping and exploring is fun but it can also have a detrimental effect to our environment and nature. By collaborating with social media campaign #RoamResponsibly, Trespass aim to raise awareness of the Countryside Code and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. Together with this knowledge we can help preserve these stunning and unique landscapes.
TUI
As the world’s leading tourism business, TUI Group is committed to making the travel sector more sustainable – reducing the environmental impacts of holidays, creating positive change for people & communities and pioneering sustainable tourism.
Their Better Holidays, Better World strategy was built around four core pillars, areas where they aimed to make a positive impact to create change at scale – in their own operations, through their value chain and customers, and across the wider industry and beyond.
TUI are currently working on continuing their sustainability strategy and will present the next phase shortly.
Vodafone’s Sustainability Strategy
• Connecting people and organisations to their digital society
• Inclusion for all
• Operating responsibly
• Reducing their impact on the planet
WHSmith’s Sustainability Plan 2025
WHSmith’s sustainability plan shapes the foundations of Our Journey to a Better Business, ensuring close alignment between our business goals and the contribution they can make to a better society and cleaner environment. WHSmith have identified those areas where they think they can make a meaningful difference and have established long-term objectives across three themes: Planet which embraces activities to reduce carbon emissions, minimise packaging and waste and ensure sustainable consumption; People which incorporates their work to reduce inequality and promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and decent work for all; and Community which comprises all their charitable activites and their commitment to making a positive impact wherever they operate.
Yankee Candle
Yankee Candle are committed to delivering distinctive products and experiences in a sustainable and socially responsible way for customers, communities, and employees — now and for generations to come.
They are achieving this vision by focusing on:
• Responsible use of energy
• Minimization of waste and identification of recycling and reuse solutions
• Partnerships with responsible suppliers
• Providing more sustainable packaging and products
