ENVIRONMENT

Increasing Recycling

All stores recycle cardboard, which is over 60% of waste produced. 95% of all waste at our Processing Centres is recycled and our long-term goal at head office is to be zero waste.

Reducing Water Consumption

We have a water monitoring programme, which includes targeting hot spots and takes action to bring their usage down to our average of 40 cubic metres per quarter.

Recycling Clothes

British consumers spend £38 billion each year on new clothes, but only 16% of the clothes they throw out are recycled (YouGov, 2009). We want to change this statistic, to help the environment and support charities at the same time.

"Give up Clothes for Good" was born way back in 2004. Every other year we ask our Associates and customers to bring in their unwanted good quality fashion and homeware to store, which we then give to Cancer Research UK and Enable Ireland to sell in their charity shops. We estimate that since 2004 we have diverted 1,700 tonnes of clothing from landfill.

Recycling Cards

By recycling their Christmas cards in our UK stores, our customers helped prevent 25 tonnes of card from going into landfill in 2008 and 2009.

Electrical and Electronic Products

We take our role as a responsible retailer seriously and we are supporting the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive and doing our bit to help care for the environment.

All electrical and electronic products that we sell carry the crossed out wheelie bin symbol as a reminder that the product can be recycled at the end of its life rather than thrown away with other household waste.

WEEE is the fastest growing waste stream in the UK, increasing by 5% every year. It is better for the environment if we can recycle these products and reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfill sites.

How can I recycle my old products?

We are obliged to take WEEE back on a ‘like for like’ basis. So if you buy an item of electrical or electronic equipment from us online you can take a similar product back to our Stores within 28 days for recycling. Please bring along proof of your online purchase.

If you have not bought anything similar from us, you can always take WEEE to your nearest local civic amenity site that offers recycling facilities.

Batteries

Recycling boxes are provided in all of our Stores for the collection, treatment and recycling of portable batteries such as Lithium-ion or button cell batteries, AA, AAA, B and C type etc.

You are welcome to use these boxes to leave your used batteries for recycling at any time.