John Lewis to source all sofa leather from higher welfare farms
John Lewis has announced that it is to source all of the leather used in its own label sofas and chairs from higher welfare UK farms that supply Waitrose beef.
The news follows the retailer’s successful circular design launch of mattresses in 2021 that use otherwise wasted wool from Waitrose farms.
Marija Rompani, director of ethics and sustainability at the John Lewis Partnership, said: “Running a department store and a supermarket gives us a unique ability to connect our two businesses and innovate. We saw an opportunity to use the leather being produced by our Waitrose farmers and use it to create beautifully crafted, high quality pieces of furniture that will last.
“By applying the same principles into our leather as we do with the products we stock on the shelf at Waitrose, we can offer the public a range of sofas and chairs using British sourced, higher welfare leather that’s distinct from anything else on the market.”
In a recent survey by OnePoll last month, 73% of shoppers said the welfare of animals produced for meat was important to them. Furthermore, 89% said it was important to them to also to buy British sourced items. However, while some 85% of adults admitted to own leather items, 80% said they had no idea if their leather came from a British farm.
Rompani added: “Everyone has the right to a sustainable choice no matter what they’re buying, but what this research shows is there’s a lot more work to be done to help shoppers make informed choices when buying certain products.
“Whether it is everyday household staples or larger items, these all have a social and environmental impact – but knowing what to look for isn’t always as easy as it should be. This is why we try to source all key materials used for our products to more sustainable standards to make it easy for our customers to make more informed choices.”
