Sheep Inc

Sheep Inc model wearing sweater/ Source: Sheep Inc

AsiaEuropeNorth AmericaOceaniaSeaweedTextilesWool

5 MINUTE READ

Mayer Nissim

WHAT WE SAY:

Can clothing actually do good, not just less harm? Net zero is a start, but when it comes to the climate crisis, standing still simply isn’t good enough.

We need regenerative farming to sequester more carbon than is emitted during the manufacturing process. Sheep Inc knits together modern innovations with classical techniques for what it claims is the first naturally carbon-negative knitwear.

KEY FACTS:

Sheep Inc claims to be the world’s first carbon-negative knitwear brand, selling a range of products including jumpers, hoodies, t-shirts and even Wool shorts.
It sources its premium-grade Merino wool exclusively from regenerative ZQ-certified sheep stations in New Zealand such as Lake Hawea Station that sequester approximately 14 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilogram of wool.
Sheep Inc highlights the high performance that Merino wool offers – temperature-regulating, hypoallergenic and odour, wrinkle and stain-resistant.
The company’s products are knitted in Portugal, using 3D Wholegarment technology which reduces waste to less than 1%, while suppliers (from the sheep farms through to the spinning mills) are predominantly powered by renewable energy to reduce emissions.
Each product features a NFC tag which offers access to the product’s history, down to the individual sheep level. Customers can even name ‘their’ sheep.

Sheep Inc sweater / Source: Sheep Inc

Sheep Inc model wearing sweater / Source: Sheep Inc

DIVE DEEPER:

Wool is a naturally plastic-free, sustainable fabric – it grows back on the sheep after you shear it. But that doesn’t mean it’s without environmental issues.
As well as the unavoidable methane emissions from the sheep themselves, cultivating land for sheep often means chopping down trees and replacing them with grassland that isn’t as good at capturing carbon from the atmosphere.
British company Sheep Inc exclusively uses wool from regenerative ZQ-certified sheep stations in New Zealand, which guarantees sheep are free from thirst, discomfort, distress and disease, as well as being free to live naturally.
The land is farmed in a manner that means more CO2 is taken out of the atmosphere than put into it, using carefully managed natural plant and soil sequestration and rotational grazing. Additionally, Seaweed feed supplements and other practices are being trialled to cut methane emissions.
In May 2021, Sheep Inc published a full product carbon footprint Life Cycle Assessment report for its garments, which factors in raw materials, manufacturing, transport, packaging and end-of-life, and is performed and verified by the external Carbon Footprint Ltd.
The use of solar power throughout the manufacturing process means this stage accounts for around 0.5 kilograms CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent). Transport is by ship, averaging around 0.6 kilograms per sweater. Sheep Inc also invests 5% of its revenue in biodiversity projects, mitigating nearly 5 million kilograms of CO2 since the company’s launch in November 2019.
Products from Sheep Inc include beanies, scarves, tops, bottoms and wraps, and are priced from GBP 50 (USD 60) for a beanie to GBP 240 (USD 295) for its limited-edition sweater collaboration with Charlie Millar from The Knit Edit.
Sourcing the wool from sheep raised in New Zealand offers enhanced thermoregulation because the sheep have been bred to adapt to the country’s harsh winters and hot summers.
The premium grade fibres are 19.5 microns thick, meaning they feel softer than conventional wool as they fall below the human itching threshold of 25 microns.
Sheep Inc claims that its Eternity X-Care treatment means that it offers the first machine washable wool yarn without the use of hazardous chemicals, although it does not disclose the treatment’s ingredients. It also reports that the treatment does not negatively impact on wool’s natural biodegradability.
As well as any faults, the company’s for-life guarantee covers normal wear – buyers can return their sweaters to Sheep Inc who will restore it to the best of their abilities.

"Eternity X-Care treatment is free from chlorine and other harmful chemicals."

Sheep Inc

Key Design Considerations:

Eternity X-Care treatment

While Sheep Inc pledges that its Eternity X-Care treatment is free from chlorine and other harmful chemicals – and applied using solar power – it’s nevertheless light on other details about the treatment. It does not divulge what it is made from, how it is sourced and how it chemically affects the Merino wool. Sheep Inc claims that the wool’s end-of-life natural biodegradability is unaffected by the treatment, but further details on the makeup and process would be reassuring.

Narrative is key

Cynics will point to Sheep Inc’s premium prices as enabling the brand to weave such a rich web of narrative around its products, from enabling customers to trace the sheep that their product’s wool was sourced from to its number crunching to demonstrate its ‘carbon-negative’ footprint. We, on the other hand, would like to think that while extreme today, and limited to premium brands, Sheep Inc’s transparency will soon become table stakes.

Lifetime guarantee

Many brands talk a good game when it comes to sustainability, when in reality much of their messaging remains focused on getting you to buy more. And more. Sheep Inc’s sustainability credentials are enhanced by its multiple initiatives around extending its products’ lifespans – from supplying a sweater comb to help removing the small pills that can appear on fabric, to its Knit Clinic, which aims to restore worn clothes with no time limits or restrictions.

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Sheep Inc

WHAT WE SAY:

Can clothing actually do good, not just less harm? Net zero is a start, but when it comes to the climate crisis, standing still simply isn’t good enough.

KEY FACTS:

DIVE DEEPER:

Wool is a naturally plastic-free, sustainable fabric – it grows back on the sheep after you shear it. But that doesn’t mean it’s without environmental issues.

As well as the unavoidable methane emissions from the sheep themselves, cultivating land for sheep often means chopping down trees and replacing them with grassland that isn’t as good at capturing carbon from the atmosphere.

British company Sheep Inc exclusively uses wool from regenerative ZQ-certified sheep stations in New Zealand, which guarantees sheep are free from thirst, discomfort, distress and disease, as well as being free to live naturally.

The land is farmed in a manner that means more CO2 is taken out of the atmosphere than put into it, using carefully managed natural plant and soil sequestration and rotational grazing. Additionally, Seaweed feed supplements and other practices are being trialled to cut methane emissions.

In May 2021, Sheep Inc published a full product carbon footprint Life Cycle Assessment report for its garments, which factors in raw materials, manufacturing, transport, packaging and end-of-life, and is performed and verified by the external Carbon Footprint Ltd.

Products from Sheep Inc include beanies, scarves, tops, bottoms and wraps, and are priced from GBP 50 (USD 60) for a beanie to GBP 240 (USD 295) for its limited-edition sweater collaboration with Charlie Millar from The Knit Edit.

Sourcing the wool from sheep raised in New Zealand offers enhanced thermoregulation because the sheep have been bred to adapt to the country’s harsh winters and hot summers.

The premium grade fibres are 19.5 microns thick, meaning they feel softer than conventional wool as they fall below the human itching threshold of 25 microns.

As well as any faults, the company’s for-life guarantee covers normal wear – buyers can return their sweaters to Sheep Inc who will restore it to the best of their abilities.

Sheep Inc

Key Design Considerations:

Eternity X-Care treatment

Narrative is key

Lifetime guarantee

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