We are thrilled to announce our new circularity project.
Launching in October to align with Wool Month, this latest initiative in low-impact manufacturing utilises recycled merino yarns. This regenerated wool will be incorporated into all of our forthcoming collections from October 2024 onwards.
Established in 1784 and as a holder of two Royal Warrants, we have built our name on crafting the finest merino knitwear in England for centuries and we remain the oldest, still operational factory in the world. This circularity project forms part of our long-term commitments to responsible production and our mission to fulfil emission-reducing targets. It is the largest-scale overhaul to our sourcing and supply chain that we have undertaken in our 240-year history.
The regenerated merino is created in partnership with iinouiio — a Yorkshire-based textile recycling mill located 50 miles from our headquarters in Matlock, Derbyshire. Here, waste yarns from our own production process are collected from the factory floor, sent to iinouiio, and turned into new fibres. iinouiio shreds the wool back to its original form, blends it with virgin merino, and re-spins it into new yarns: the ratio of waste to new wool in this regenerated fibre is a 50/50 split. So far, 335kg of waste yarn has been saved from the scrap heap and repurposed.
Far from being a modern, eco invention, recycling merino waste is a traditional technique that was once known as ‘shoddy’ manufacturing. It fell out of favour in the industry as supply chains became global and production was predominantly offshored. Through this ongoing project we are bringing back an ancient practice. This circularity campaign is a thoughtful celebration of conscious craftsmanship.
The regenerated wool will launch in hues of Fragmented Grey and Blue Fleck: the colours derive from the recycled yarns only. Virgin fibres are not dyed to further lessen the environmental impact. The overall colour variation of each batch will therefore depend upon the waste wool collected: no extra chemicals are added.
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Each run will be one-of-a-kind. In turn, each piece of knitwear becomes limited-edition by default. Each regenerated sweater has its own story, with all of our garments being hand-finished by our team of skilled artisans at our home in Lea Mills.
