Responsibility and sustainability
- info6897539
- Jul 29
- 3 min read
The sustainability of wool is a controversial topic. Here you can read why we chose this material and how we do our best to protect the environment and stand up for social justice.
General benefits of wool
Wool has many advantages, some of which are also explained in the blog post Tufting yarn Here's a brief summary:
It is a renewable raw material, and the wool is obtained exclusively from living sheep.
Water consumption in production is lower than, for example, that of cotton.
It is 100% biodegradable (more on this in the Challenge section ).
The natural wax coating on the fiber surface makes it dirt and moisture repellent.
It is flame-retardant.
It is antibacterial and therefore particularly suitable for asthmatics and allergy sufferers.
It insulates heat, which is especially suitable for carpets.
It is sound-absorbing and thus ensures an overall better indoor climate.
What's particularly interesting is that although the sheep produce methane, the pastures they graze on are managed regeneratively. This means that the grass and trees there store CO2, which the sheep indirectly capture in their wool. You can read more about this here .
Advantages of wool in tufting
Wool is particularly suitable for tufted products because it offers certain qualities that other materials do not have.
It is durable and retains its shape for a long time when used as a carpet, for example, whereas acrylic, cotton or linen cannot withstand heavy wear and tear and are more suitable for wall hangings.
When shaving the tufting product, no microplastics are released, which then enter the environment via the air.
The dirt-repellent properties are particularly valuable for carpets.
challenges
Of course, not everything is so rosy, otherwise wool wouldn't have such a dubious reputation. Sheep are ruminants and produce methane, which is significantly more harmful to the climate than CO2.
Furthermore, the argument that sheep farming is associated with animal cruelty is often raised. This stems from the practice of "mulesing," which is particularly prevalent in Australia. This involves removing the folds on the sheep's hindquarters without anesthesia as a preventative measure against maggot infestation and other diseases. This is cruel and painful and should be replaced by other methods.
That's why our wool is RWS certified. More on that in the next section.
Wool can also be susceptible to moth infestation. To prevent this, pesticides are often applied to the fiber's surface. These, as well as some dyes, can not only be environmentally harmful during production, but can also make recycling the wool more difficult or even impair and prevent biodegradability.
Certificates
To meet these challenges, we have taken several measures in selecting our suppliers.
First of all, our supply chain is transparent. From the wool spinning and dyeing mill, the wool is traceable back to the individual sheep farm via our partner Wools of New Zealand.
Another very important point was the presentation of the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) certificate
Suppliers are audited by an independent testing agency to obtain the RWS certification. This global, voluntary standard ensures that:
animal welfare is not endangered (i.e. no mulesing, sufficient food, free range, etc.)
the pastureland is managed sustainably.
that requirements regarding fair wages and working conditions for employees are met.
We also paid careful attention to testing the chemicals used to dye the wool and protect it against moth damage. We also have data sheets, certificates, and independent laboratory reports that verify which chemicals were used and that they are neither harmful to humans nor the environment.
If you still have any questions, please contact us on!
