52 million single-use cups eliminated annually

#1 ranking by Greenpeace for plastic reduction

97% of own-brand packaging recyclable

Zero food waste to landfill across 280 UK branches

THE GREY ELEPHANT IN EVERY SHOPPING BASKET

Plastic pollution was becoming a defining consumer, environmental and reputational issue.
Waitrose’s research showed it was a leading customer concern, but action remained fragmented and largely confined to CSR.
A competitor’s plastic-free commitment increased the urgency for Waitrose to develop a bold, business-wide response.

Applied our Grey Elephant foresight approach to identify plastic pollution as a fast-moving signal before it became a mainstream strategic issue.
Delivered tailored keynotes across the business, reframing plastic from a CSR concern into a strategic priority and source of competitive advantage.
Combined solutions research, facilitated strategy and innovation hackathons, and senior advisory support to turn the strongest ideas into a business-wide strategy and board paper.
Defined the Endgames and charted the strategic roadmaps for JLP’s zero-plastic and food-waste ambitions, supporting the development of the board paper.

Helped shift plastic reduction from a siloed CSR initiative to a core strategic and operational priority.
Early action contributed to 52 million disposable cups being removed annually, saving 221 tonnes of plastic and 665 tonnes of paper.
Waitrose subsequently achieved a number-one Greenpeace ranking and reported that 97% of its own-brand packaging was recyclable, reusable or home-compostable.

STRATEGY SERVICES PROVIDED