WOOL – THE WARMING NATURAL FIBRE

Sheep wool is one of the oldest and most versatile fibres known to humankind. For people in mountain regions, for centuries it was the most important raw material for making warm clothes. Every farm would keep sheep, to produce wool to provide protection from the cold and the wet. However, due to the development of synthetic fibres, natural wool was used less and less. A few years back, raw wool was classed as problematic waste, nobody seemed to want it, and sheep farmers were left with a problem – they had to pay to have their wool taken away and disposed of.

TIROLWOOL® AND ITS PROPERTIES

The TirolWool® product line is based fundamentally on principle that wool plays an important role in our culture, tradition and origins. TirolWool® itself is composed of wool from the Tiroler Bergschaf and Villnösser Brillenschaf mountain sheep from South Tyrol. Their wool is ideal for making high-quality functional clothing that can harsh withstand weather conditions in the mountains. The wool has a coarse texture that forms large air chambers and a particularly high lanolin content that makes it water repellent. As such, it makes a particularly effective insulation material, for example, for use in jackets, vests, pants and gloves. Moreover, wool’s thermoregulating, breathable and insulating characteristics continue to work even when it's wet.
These natural, warm fibres are also used for making headgear: In the Marche (Northern Italy), the balls of wool are knitted to make Salewa's Made in Italy beanies, as well as other accessories.

BETWEEN TRADITION AND INNOVATION

The cooperation between Salewa and Tyrolean sheep breeders (Schafzüchter) has led to the development of long-lasting and sustainable products – that offer a genuine means of creating added value for farmers. Salewa and its partner companies use ninety per cent of the entire white wool production and the demand for natural, local wool is growing again. The farmers are proud of their sheep, their special wool, and the fact they are maintaining an important tradition for future generations.

TIROLWOOL® – A SUCCESS STORY

Acting sustainably, using local resources and respecting animal welfare have always been important to Salewa. This why we choose to work with Tyrolean sheep farms.

During the course of the TirolWool® project, we met local sheep breeders and got to know their animals better. We visited their grazing pastures and understood how important it is for the conservation of alpine pastures and high-alpine flora: This helped us develop a basis of mutual trust and we were able to do without intermediaries and guarantee the farmers a fair price for their wool. Together, we have created a short and transparent value creation and supply chain.

The success of TirolWool® shows that cooperation and sustainable entrepreneurship can build bridges – across borders – for an entire alpine region, by combining tradition and innovation.