British Wool has launched a 100% traceable wool scheme that traces the origin of the wool from the farm gate to the shop floor.
‘We are keen to meet this ever increasing demand from consumers to understand the origin of their products. Our scheme allows consumers to fully understand where the wool in the products they are purchasing is from. It also gives them peace of mind that the producer has received a premium payment for their wool,’ says Graham Clark, British Wool director of marketing.
The scheme will initially include wool from three of British Wool’s largest depots: Bradford, Newtown and South Molton which between them handle nearly 50% of the wool handled by British Wool.
‘We anticipate that more than 500,000kg of traceable wool, from a wide range of types, will be sold through our auctions. Those producers whose wool has been selected to be part of the scheme this year will receive a premium for their 2021 wool. As a farming co-operative our primary aim is to maximise the value of our producers’ wool, this scheme allows us to do exactly this as we are able to obtain a premium from the brands we are working with which we will be making sure the producer receives. We are initially launching this scheme in the sleep product category working with Devon Duvets which supplies 100% British wool bedding and bed company Harrison Spinks.
‘We have been working with British Wool for a number of years and are proud to use this fantastic natural fibre at the heart of our products, our new traceable range is now available on our website and will shortly be available through our network of retail partners, including John Lewis,’ says Dick Beijen, Devon Duvets md.
‘We are delighted to be a part of this new scheme as it supports our brand vision to be the most ethical and sustainable bed manufacturer,’ says Nick Booth, Harrison Spinks md.
‘We are very excited to be working with such premium brands in the bedding market and we will be working hard to ensure this is a success for all involved. Over the next few years we hope to work with a wide range of wool processors and manufacturers to offer fully traceable British wool products to the consumer whilst also achieving better wool prices for producers over the long term,’ says Clarke.