Textile production is one of the most polluting industries out there. It produces billion of tonnes of CO2, it contributes to the ever growing plastic pollution found in the oceans and it floods the rivers with chemical pollutants. Faced with the magnitude of this, producers, as well as consumer’s, are seeking out sustainable materials that minimise negative impacts on people and the planet.

Wool is a versatile & ecological resource, boasting natural, renewable, biodegradable qualities without depleting finite natural resources. Vital to supporting these ecological benefits is to ensure that the well-being of the animal is met in all instances; both for positive productivity, as well as for the animals’ rights.

Wool fleeces are sheared annually as part of the farmers commitment to manage the animal’s health. The animal will grow a new fleece each year from water, air, sunshine and grass.

Our wool growers and processors are part of our local environment. It’s on our doorstep and we want to take care of it.

Here at H.Dawson’s we have a very simple environmental approach, take what you need and give back to the land; a virtuous cycle. The essence of this approach works for us, and our suppliers, because we have an open relationship which allows us to assess the environmental impact of product & processing. We are 100% accountable.

The engineering behind the final H.Dawson’s wool product has been developed to reduce our carbon emission and waste – pre and post-consumer.

On average the wool scouring line uses between 3-10 litres of fresh water for every kg of greasy wool washed and we collect around 30-40t of waste, of which around 20% (of the wool input) will be turned into compost. We choose to stock all insulation in our UK warehouse and will ship out using sea freight when required and possible.

In terms of longevity, wool delivers a powerful message to the consumer of a fibre well adapted with nature that it gives back into the lifecycle of the environment.

The fibre itself works naturally with the human body to manage moisture without the need for chemical finishes. It is a hardy life-long fibre that requires half the amount of washing than synthetic clothing.

As current research stands on micro plastic pollution in the ocean, we understand that any wool fibres emitted during washing are dissolved during sewer processing, before entering the oceans.

Wool products are all developed as part of a renewable biodegradation system that gives back to the planet. Wool can be broken down by a biological process using bacteria and turned into natural raw materials, carbon dioxide, water and naturally occurring minerals. These are then reintegrated into the nutrient cycle and continue to encourage carbon stores and biodiversity.

We now want to emulate these environmental physicalities deeper into our business so we can begin to reduce our paper trail, carbon emissions & water consumption and learn how to facilitate renewable energy as a by-product of textile processing.

The new HQ premises of Salts Mills is the foundation to our new Environmental Management System. The system will be used as a tool to develop our expertise in the world of sustainable business development.