Mulesing-free merino wool is an ethical choice

When it comes to choosing comfortable outdoor clothing for year-round use, merino wool is a firm favourite of nature lovers.

This soft, durable and breathable natural fibre can’t be beat: merino wool also has excellent moisture wicking and heat properties and is very airy, ensuring a cooling effect in hot weather and a warming effect in the cold.

In addition, merino wool is naturally antibacterial, keeping unpleasant odours at bay.

Environmentally friendly merino wool

Svala’s merino wool clothing is durable and easy to care for. Thanks to the self-cleaning property of wool, clothes do not have to be washed as often as synthetic fibres or cotton. A good airing is often enough to make them fresh again after use. All our clothes are made to last, year after year.

Read more about the unmatched properties of merino wool here.

Because merino wool is so durable and easy to care for, it’s good for the environment. However, when buying clothes made using merino wool it’s also important to make sure that the wool is mulesing-free.

What is mulesing?

Mulesing is a painful procedure in which the tail of the sheep is cut short and strips of skin are cut from the buttocks. It is used as a means of avoiding infections caused by flies and parasites. The procedure causes severe stress and pain to the sheep for a long time. No animal should be subjected to such suffering.

Fortunately, due to the public outcry and campaigning against mulesing, more humane alternatives have been developed. These impose additional costs on sheep farmers, making ethically produced, mulesing-free merino wool slightly more expensive than it would otherwise be.

Ethically produced materials

All the merino wool Svala uses comes from healthy sheep that are not subjected to mulesing. All our material suppliers are audited, and the materials are certified. By purchasing clothing made from mulesing-free merino wool, you are doing the right thing.