The sustainability of i-merino produces benefits for the environment, the animals and farming communities, today and into the future.
Merino wool is a remarkable performance fiber, and it’s also entirely natural; the result of the sheep’s fleece evolving over millions of years to provide protection from the elements.
Merino wool requires grass for its growth, a completely renewable resource. In the wild, the sheep naturally sheds its wool, and farmers have developed techniques to remove the wool without harm to the sheep or the environment. Once the fleece has been removed, the sheep immediately begins the production of next year’s line. [Read more]
Merino wool is predominately made up of keratin, a natural protein that makes up the majority of our own skin. Given enough exposure to the natural environment, merino wool will ultimately break down to organic carbon, returning its constituent elements to nature once more. Thankfully, this is unlikely to happen within the lifetime of the garment’s owner. i-merino fabrics are extremely durable. [Read more]
i-merino woolgrowers have the welfare of their animals constantly at the forefront of their minds because their sheep are their lives and their livelihood. The quality of the animals’ care is reflected in the caliber of the sheep’s fleece.
We encourage woolgrowers to have their farms replicate as closely as possible the system that nature created around their immediate farm community. Given past agricultural practices, this can be quite a challenge, but biodiversity benefits all elements of the farming environment.
An essential element of sustainability is protecting the health of those working in the merino production chain, and i-merino stresses to all our production partners the importance of observing the relevant occupational health and safety rules.
The merino wool industry played a significant part in the early development of the Australian economy. Integration of indigenous and European people was common on the large sheep stations from colonization, and is still recognized today on merino farms around the country.
Growing merino wool has an impact on the immediate environment, but we advocate best management practice amongst all our growers to minimize the ecological footprint of the i-merino production chain.
i-merino is the first merino production chain in the world to be awarded the EU Ecolabel recognizing our commitment to reducing the environmental impact of the fibre production process.
The EU Ecolabel restricts the use of toxic chemicals across the entire production chain and guarantees that the entire production process has complied with EU water pollution standards.
The EU Ecolabel is one of highest level of textile certifications recognized in the EU.
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