Another journey that has always been at the forefront of our minds and something we can bring into our business, is support of the British wool industry. Having sheep farming family and being surrounded by sheep grazing fields, it feels incredibly sad that such a versatile product no longer holds much worth, with its value steadily decreasing since the 1950’s and more significantly since 2015. Wool only accounts for 1% of global textile supply, which is a shame given its health and environmental benefits over synthetic fibres, but that is a story for another time, except to say that if you suffer with eczema, wool can have real benefits for you.
How we use wool
We use wool as protective packaging for our products, as felt balls for our car diffusers and to provide felt ‘wallets’ or ‘pouches’ for our products as a way of protecting them or to make them handy to carry with you at all times.
Why wool?
Wool fibre is naturally hypoallergenic, fire retardant and biodegradable as well asl having fantastic thermal properties, keeping items cool in heat and warm in cold temperatures as well as providing excellent cushioning. It is therefore the perfect choice for our packaging, with each product being sent laid on British wool or in a felt pouch, both of which can then be re-used.
Our luxury gift boxes are filled with wool and include a complimentary hemp cushion case to fill with the fibres so they can be reused as a lumbar support cushion, neck support, or to use between your knees while sleeping or doing exercises, or anything else you can think of, the choice is yours. Our smaller boxes only have small amount of wool and so do not come with a hemp bag, but all is not lost, wool has great benefits for use in the garden as you will find out below. The wool we use for this is 100% British wool from a UK mill that has been processing wool for over 150 years and for which sustainability is at the heart of what they do.
Our felt is from Europe and our felt balls from Nepal, leading us to learn that approximately 70% of our wool is sent half way across the world to be processed. We endeavour to provide British wool that is processed in the UK and where this might not be possible for some of our products now, we hope this can become a reality on our journey.
Reusing the wool for your plants
Wool helps retain water, it is 100% natural and fully biodegradable, so it can be safely used around plants or vegetables as mulch to prevent soil drying out in hot weather, or dug into the soil for moisture retention. It can be a useful addition to hanging baskets and planters that can dry out quickly in warmer weather. When used in the garden, wool holds many nutrients that will help fertilise the soil, and eventually improve soil structure as it biodegrades and is dug back into the soil, but this will take time.
We lightly infuse our wool with scent which can also have benefits in the garden as pest and insect deterrents, for example, lavender can be useful for greenflies and blackflies while peppermint can be useful against caterpillars and ants.
If you no longer wish to use the wool in the garden it can be popped in your garden compost to naturally biodegrade and provide nutrients and structure to the compost.
Supporting role of hemp
Complimenting the sustainability of our wool filler is our hemp cushion covers which are provided in every luxury gift box. Hemp is a truely eco-friendly choice of fabric as well as being strong, breathable and naturally antimicrobial, antifungal and antibacterial. It has insulating properties so will absorb body heat and keep you warm, particularly useful when using the cushion as a neck or lumbar pillow, making the combination or wool and hemp linen the perfect combination.
Hemp has been known for many years for cannabis production, giving it a bad reputation for everyday use, but it’s not from the same plant, despite its similar appearance. Hemp used for fabrics, oils and other everyday products may be from the same family of plant, but the hemp species grown for fabrics contains less than 0.3% pshyco-active components rather than its cannabis producing cousin where this is far higher.
Why hemp?
Hemp has so many uses and is a zero waste product as all parts are used in some way; oil, fibres, animal feed, the fibres are even used in our compostable labels that do not need to be oil proof. And at the end of its life, hemp, much like wool is biodegradable and compostable in garden compost.
Hemp is a great plant for the environment being naturally resistant to pests eliminating the need for harsh chemical pesticides. It’s a tough plant that thrives in poor soils requiring little water “around 80% less than cotton” and has a fast growth rate of only 4 months. It can therefore be grown sustainably almost anywhere in the world. It is a highly efficient carbon absorber, more so than many crops and trees, while also being able to produce 3-4 times more paper than trees. It has deep roots that are highly efficient at removing toxins and even radiation from the soil while improving soil structure and reducing soil run off. Overall, a truly sustainable crop with many uses as well as benefits for the planet.
We source our fabric from an ethically conscious supplier that ensures their fabrics are produced in the most sustainable and ecological way, supporting fair wages and working conditions.
We believe in supporting these sustainable products to enhance our lives more naturally.
With special thanks to:
For their wonderful products and valuable information.
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