Building on the successful launch of mattresses that used otherwise wasted wool sourced from Waitrose farms in 2021, John Lewis is announcing a new partnership that involves sourcing all of its leather from the same British farms – Waitrose's farming supply chain has been awarded Best Retailer for farm animal welfare by Compassion in World Farming (CiWF) four times in a row. This initiative will enable the retailer to reduce its environmental impact across supply chains while creating products that support British producers.

“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”, commented Marija Rompani, Director of Ethics & Sustainability at the John Lewis Partnership

Rompani also pointed out that this decision will help consumers make informed choices when buying certain products. In a recent survey conducted by OnePoll among 2 000 gen pop British households, 73% of the participants said that the welfare of animals produced for meat was important to them, with nearly nine in 10 adding that it's important to buy British-sourced furnishing items. However, 85% of them said to own home furnishing items in leather and not knowing where their leather came from.

“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”, she added.