Norwegian wool is fast earning a reputation of being environmentally sustainable. What exactly is it that it is making news nowadays?
Why is Norwegian wool eco-friendly?
- The production of the wool- Wool is a natural carbon store . Besides it being that, the sheep from which the wool comes is rarely fed on industrial land but on sustainable grasslands, which also have the capacity to store carbon. Norwegian wool comes from sheep which have been fed green clean grass. Norway is known to be a clean country with fresh clean scenery and air. One of the conditions to term a textile sustainable would be that the product has been manufactured without the use of chemicals, pesticides, etc. In a textile and yarn which is derived from an animal, it would only suffice that the animals have been raised in eco-friendly conditions and not injected with hormones or fed synthetic stuff. Norwegian wool passes all these tests.
- Standard Quality โ The majority of wool produced by Norwegian sheep belongs to the C1 class, which is the best quality classification in the countryโs system. Ultra fine merino wool is below 14,9 microns and Norwegian wool is on an average 31,4 microns. This speaks volumes of the excellent quality wool produced in Norway.
- Inherent qualities of wool โ In order to term a textile eco-friendly , one has to also take the factors of cleaning, washing and drying in consideration since these processes consume a lot of energy. Wool is sustainable in that way that it is virtually self-cleaning. All you have to do is hang it outside in the sun and air it or clean it using a damp cloth or by rinsing out.Wool is a symbol of tradition and longevity. A garment is termed sustainable also on the basis of how many times it can be worn and woolens are a symbol of warmth and tradition owing to its durable nature which goes on for many years.
- Traditional โ Norway was industrialized much later than other countries and thus handcrafts and knitting are steeped in tradition which have been unbroken for years. The traditional dress of Norway is also woolen and one may jokingly say that it is almost child abuse if you do not dress your child in woolen underwear. Tourists and guests are seen purchasing woolens or being gifted the same by locals. Woolen textiles and yarns are a rich tradition in Norway.
