John Lewis has announced the launch of a new range of mattresses made from wool provided by Waitrose sheep farmers.
The retailer has partnered with Waitrose, H.Dawson, Hypnos and Dalehead for the development of the project.
The collaboration aims to raise awareness of the suffering wool industry and drive demand for the product.
The price of wool across the country has seen a steep dive for several decades, with the price not even covering the cost of shearing, which has forced farmers to throw the product away.
According to a survey conducted by the John Lewis Partnership, 66 per cent of shoppers claimed to be unaware of the issue, however 52 per cent said that they would pay more for products that use British wool if it saved it from going to waste.
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“Wool used to sustain entire economies but it has declined in value so dramatically that British farmers are now in some cases having to dump it”, Waitrose senior agriculture manager Jake Pickering said.
“We are in a fortunate position in running a Partnership that operates both a supermarket and a home department store, so we saw an opportunity to make a difference to our farmers and the environment by ensuring the quality wool they’re producing is not wasted.
“We hope that in doing this, we will raise awareness of this issue and restore British wool’s status as the highly valued and high-quality British commodity it used to be.”
Farming Minister Victoria Prentis added: “The UK has a proud tradition of wool production going back centuries.
“We have a growing and creative sector using British wool to make new, sustainable products, which directly supports our sheep farmers.
“I’m delighted that Waitrose and John Lewis are taking this step, to use an environmentally-friendly resources while also supporting British lamb producers.”
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