What do you have to pay attention to when it comes to wool?

We don't want to do without wool in winter. Whether it's for knitted sweaters, hats, scarves, coats or trousers. This natural material offers many advantages. However, you should also pay attention to where it comes from and the conditions under which the animals are kept. 

 

What is mulesing? 

Mulesing is a procedure that has been used since the 1930s to control fly infestation in sheep. The removal of skin in the tail area is intended to prevent infestation by fly maggots. It is usually carried out without anesthetizing the animals and the wounds carry an increased risk of infection. 

This method is primarily used in large-scale breeding operations in Australia. It is banned in many countries, including Germany. In order to pay attention to the way the animals are kept, you should only use mulesing-free wool. In addition, small companies can often even trace which farmer the wool comes from and what the living conditions of the animals are like. 

 

Why does wool have a worse CO2 balance? 

In order to ensure that the origin and consumption of our clothing can be traced transparently, we have calculated a balance sheet together with COKO. This allows us to indicate how much CO2 is produced during production for each item of clothing, depending on the material. It is noticeable that although we use organic wool, the savings compared to non-sustainable products are minimal. 

Why is that so? On the one hand, it is due to the comparison value. The average value of the conventional product does not refer explicitly to wool, but to all types of fabric in general. With lower-emission materials such as cotton, the comparison value is too low. On the other hand, sustainable wool remains an animal product that produces more CO2 than plant-based raw materials through animal husbandry and, above all, feeding. Therefore, explicit attention must be paid to species-appropriate husbandry when it comes to animal products. 

 

So why wool? 

The advantages of this material are considerable. Wool is a natural, renewable and biodegradable product. So if you want to avoid synthetics and plastic in your clothing, you will find a petroleum-free material here. No microplastics end up in the wastewater when washed and the question of fossil resources does not arise either. 

Wool wrinkles much less than other fabrics. This means that you get a practical fabric without having to treat it with chemicals beforehand. We have already written a blog post about wrinkle-free fabrics in which the topic is discussed in more detail. 

In addition, the wool fiber naturally has some properties that synthetic imitators have difficulty or even cannot match. Wool has a temperature-regulating effect. This means that it prevents both sweating and freezing. The special structure of the individual fibers means that wool can be worn even in drizzle. The outer layer is water-repellent, but at the same time it allows water vapor to pass through so that the fabric does not feel wet. If you take a closer look at the physical and chemical composition of wool, you will also find that it is self-cleaning. Wool does not smell as quickly as other materials because it can absorb and neutralize chemicals. What does this mean in simple terms? We don't have to wash wool as often! 

Which wool? 

There are various seals to ensure where, how and under what conditions the animals are kept and the wool is obtained. As mentioned above, it is particularly important to make sure that you use mulesing-free wool.

Another criterion is controlled organic livestock farming (kbT), in accordance with the EU regulation for organic farming. This stipulates large pastures, natural reproduction, the absence of pesticides or fattening aids and the prohibition of mulesing. There is also the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), which serves as a seal of quality for organic natural fibers. All processing stages of the materials are checked. The social and ecological requirements are checked by independent companies.

Entire companies can also be certified. For smaller companies, this is an enormously high cost factor. That is why we ensure that our materials have the appropriate certificates and rely on complete transparency towards customers in our production.

There are numerous other independent certificates and labels that are worth taking a quick look at to see whether they are trustworthy and what they contain for humans and animals. 

Animal materials can have advantages for us and the environment. It is just important to pay attention to the correct origin and handling. Then you have found a pain-free, sustainable product that will accompany you for many years. Because for us, fair fashion also means designing a long-lasting, environmentally friendly and versatile product.

 

 

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulesing 

 

https://www.greenality.de/blog/mulesing/ 

 

https://ninarein.com/pages/transparenz 

 

https://www.landwirtschaftskammer.de/landwirtschaft/oekolandbau/pdf/oekovo-mkulnv.pdf  

https://www.ecollections.de/journal/ist-schafwolle-real-nachhaltig/  

 

https://www.outdoor-professional.de/wolle-merinowolle-outdoor-advantages-nachteile-properties/  

 

https://global-standard.org/de/der-standard/schluessel Criteria