Moving towards sustainability

Our sustainability journey started from our first day of business, when we committed to using only timber from managed forests that prevent deforestation. Being a bigger company today means we’re now able to do more.
In our next chapter, there’s a lot for us to be excited about - mainly, our new innovative materials that are cruelty-free and made with fewer chemicals.
Sustainable wood, since day one
- European Timber Regulation standards
- Managed plantation timber only
- No timber from land reserves, rainforests, newly felled forests or woodland areas

Unlike other companies, we’ve been using sustainably sourced wood from the very beginning - since we launched in 2005. The timber we use comes from managed forests, which adheres to strict guidelines to prevent deforestation.
All our wood products (like our sofa frames, and wooden dining tables and chairs) meet European Timber Regulation (EUTR) standards and we've gone beyond this with a commitment to use managed plantation timber exclusively.We use as much of the plantation timber as possible to reduce wastage of the raw material:
- The sustainable solid wood types that we use in our furniture include acacia, poplar and rubberwood
- The MDF we use comes from rubberwood and utilises nearly all of the timber
- Oak veneer is made from thinly slicing the timber of the oak tree and uses less wood to produce the same look as solid wood furniture, making it a sustainable option
Faux leather that rivals the real thing
- Feels as thick, comfy and soft as leather
- No harmful solvents, using water-based manufacturing
- Tested to 100,000 Martindale rub counts
- No special cleaning or care required
- Vegan and cruelty-free

We’ve developed our faux leather to have the same buttery softness and durability as real leather, without needing any special cleaning or care.
All our faux leathers are tested to a minimum 100,000 rub counts on the Martindale scale, an industry standard that measures a fabric's durability. The higher the rub count, the more resistant the material is to wear and tear. In comparison, the average material for domestic use is tested to 25,000-30,000 rub counts.
We’ve also made significant progress with our new range of innovative faux leathers, made without harmful solvents used in traditional processes. Tested to 100,000 Martindale rub counts, they’re better for the planet, better quality and have an even better feel.
Fabrics made with recycled materials
- Certified by the Global Recycle Standard (GRS)
- Made with recycled plastics
- Tested to withstand everyday use

Most furniture companies in the UK still rely on virgin plastics as a raw material, but new recycled plastics can be a better choice:
- Durable and cost-effective
- Reduce the need for more, new oil-based materials
- Divert virgin plastics from landfills
For that reason, we’ve started to replace virgin plastics with recycled in our fabrics, wherever possible. The backing materials aren't yet available in any recycled form in the market - as soon as they are, we’ll use them in our products.Our recycled fabrics are independently certified by the Global Recycle Standard (GRS) and rigorously tested for everyday use.
Need to dispose of your furniture?

Use our Recycle or Donate Tool to dispose of your old furniture legally and sustainably. This handy online tool maps over 700 furniture recycling and donation centres across the UK - simply key in your postcode to find your nearest centre.
Rethinking our product packaging
- Fully recycled cartons
- Removing all unnecessary plastics
- Investing in plant-based alternatives like mycelium packaging

Our products are packed in cartons made from recyclable cardboard and with recycled plastic bags where possible. We’re also striving for alternative packaging methods to decrease our one-time use of packaging materials.
100% recycled cardboard
- All our cartons are made with 100% recycled cardboard verified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
- All our cardboard boxes are recyclable
Phasing out virgin plastics with recycled
- We're removing all unnecessary plastics and have started switching out virgin plastics with recycled
- We use 100% recycled plastic bags where possible, at a minimum they're 30% recycled
- Our biggest challenge is removing polystyrene as there are currently no viable alternatives, but we continue looking for possible solutions such as investing in mycelium packaging
Being eco-conscious in our workplace
At Furniture And Choice, none of our waste goes to landfills. Our warehouses separate plastic and cardboard from our product packaging and send it to recycling centres. And in our offices, we separate cardboard, paper and aluminium for recycling, and send our waste to a local power station to use as fuel.
We also participate in the Cycle to Work scheme scheme, a tax-free employee benefit that helps our staff get a brand new bike and equipment for a healthier, more active lifestyle.Our responsibility to the environment includes being compliant with the Consumer Information Obligation. In order to meet this, we provide information detailing recycling advice and guidance for our customers, including how and where to recycle, a guide to recycling symbols and top recycling tips.
The overall aim is to ensure that our customers are aware of their recycling responsibilities and have the correct information to become more environmentally friendly in the home and work-place, all of which is focused around the traditional waste hierarchy principles of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. This information is available at https://www.complydirect.com/the-recycling-room/.