RESOURCES

RESPONSIBLE WOOL

JOOP! is using an increasing quantity of mulesing-free merino wool in its knitwear and ready-to-wear collections, such as the knitwear basics – a decision that upholds animal welfare and meets our desire for more sustainable, animal-friendly product quality.

Mulesing is a technique used on young merino sheep in order to prevent infestation of the animal’s wool with fly maggots. A section of skin is removed around the animal’s tail, which is often the site where the flies lay their eggs. Because the skin is often removed without anaesthetic or follow-up care and the scar often becomes inflamed, this process is painful and distressing for the animals. This type of fly is found throughout Australia but not in countries such as Uruguay, Patagonia, South America , South Africa, Spain and Portugal, which means they are able to guarantee mulesing-free merino wool. That is why we source our merino wool exclusively from countries that can guarantee mulesing-free wool.

There is as yet no internationally recognised mulesing-free certificate. Certificates such as GOTS, RWS and ZQ Merino, however, guarantee animal welfare and prohibit mulesing in their standards.

0% DOWN

JOOP! also renounces the use of real down. Instead, we use highly functional and partially recycled filling materials that are even superior to conventional down in terms of moisture management, washability and comfort.

GREEN BUTTON SEAL

The Green Button is a government-run certification label for sustainably manufactured textiles. It sets out mandatory requirements to protect people and the environment in the textile production process. A total of 46 stringent social and environmental standards must be met. Independent auditors review compliance with the criteria.

From 2023, selected products in our collection will be certified with the Green Button seal.

https://www.gruener-knopf.de/

GLOBAL ORGANIC TEXTILE STANDARD

The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is the world-leading textile standard for organic fibres, such as cotton, linen and wool.

GOTS defines stringent environmental and social requirements throughout the entire textile supply chain, which are assessed in a transparent, independent certification process. The environmental criteria include a ban on environmentally hazardous substances, restrictions concerning haberdashery (buttons, zips, etc.) and technical quality parameters such as rub fastness, perspiration fastness, light fastness and washing fastness. The social criteria focus on the key standards of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and the standards of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The standard differentiates between two certification levels: ‘Organic’ is used for textiles that contain at least 95% organic fibres. ‘Made with organic’ is used for all products that contain at least 70% organic fibres.

www.global-standard.org

ORGANIC CONTENT STANDARD

The Organic Content Standard (OCS) provides chain-of-custody verification for materials originating on a farm certified to recognised national organic standards. The standard was developed by the non-governmental organisation Textile Exchange and is used to verify organically grown raw materials from the farm to the final product.

‘OCS Blended’ applies to products that contain at least 5% organically grown material, whereas ‘OCS 100’ is applicable to products that contain at least 95% organically grown material.

https://textileexchange.org/organic-content-standard/

RESPONSIBLE WOOL STANDARD

The Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) by Textile Exchange is a voluntary, globally recognised standard for wool products that aims to improve animal welfare and protect grazing land.

The standards apply to the entire value chain, from wool shearing all the way to the final product. RWS-certified farmers must meet strict requirements concerning animal welfare, including the prohibition of mulesing.

Mulesing is a procedure used on young merino sheep to prevent maggot infestations in their wool. It involves removing folds of skin around the breech area where flies attempt to lay their eggs. The procedure is often done without anaesthesia or any follow-up care to prevent inflammation, which is painful and distressing for the animals. While this fly species is widespread in Australia, it does not exist in places like Uruguay, Patagonia, South America, South Africa, Spain or Portugal. As a result, we only procure our merino wool from suppliers that confirm their wool is mulesing-free.

https://textileexchange.org/standards/responsible-wool/