A sofa's life cycle, from its manufacture to its disposal, inspires sustainability policies at furniture seller DFS. The company uses wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and plants trees under Woodland Trust's carbon scheme.

The Sofa Rescue initiative ensures furniture is disposed of in an eco-friendly way by collecting unwanted pieces from customers and recycling them, which has saved more than 100,000 pieces of furniture from landfills so far.

DFS's Grand Designs range comprises stylish sofas made from sustainable material. The company says each aspect of the range has been considered for its ability to reduce the impact on our environment and is either made of recycled materials, comes from sustainable sources, or is more easily recycled at the end of its life.

The company was founded in 1969 with a single store in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Today, it employs more than 3,800 people in 120 shops in the UK, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain. It also sells online and has three upholstery factories and two wood mills in Britain.

In 2015 DFS floated on the London Stock Exchange. In recent years, it has welcomed Dwell, Sofology and The Sofa Delivery Company on board.

DFS has made its head office more accessible and neurodiversity friendly. Meanwhile, the Sofology brand has introduced a quiet hour for customers who need a calming environment when shopping. A partnership with the charity Hidden Disabilities means store workers are better equipped to help customers whose disabilities are not visible.