How to transition away from mulesing lambs wool
A helpful guide for fashion brands and retailers looking to make the switch to sheep-friendly materials
Brands and retailers have the power to influence the Australian wool industry and ensure better animal welfare is at the top of the agenda. With the right information at hand, brands and retailers can take proactive steps to avoid mulesed sheep wool and effectively communicate a stance towards animal protection to consumers.
After extensive research and industry engagement, global animal protection organisation FOUR PAWS has produced an insightful and pragmatic guidebook titled Transitioning away from mulesed sheep wool. It aims to help fashion brands understand the Why and How they can remove mulesed wool from their supply chains.
Mulesing – a practice largely unique to Australia is still widespread across a country that produces 70% of all the world’s apparel wool.
Featuring interviews with brand sustainability managers who have already made such commitments, including fashion powerhouses H&M, Kathmandu and Espirit, the guidebook presents referenced information for brands on what mulesing is, why it’s happening, what the viable pain-free alternatives to managing flystrike are, and what risks mulesing brings.
A guidebook to go mulesing-free:
Transitioning away from mulesed sheep wool
A guide for brands and retailers on why and how
Importantly, the guidebook includes crucial information to assist brands in understanding how they can transition their wool supply chain away from mulesed wool, provides an overview of the current wool assurance initiatives available, as well as case studies from Australian wool producers who already supply non-mulesed wool.
Approximately 3,000 Australian wool producers have already stopped mulesing, making up about 10% of the national output. While progress has been happening in response to consumer demands, what is needed now is an industry-wide push for change that is long overdue.
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In our guide, you will find an extensive overview of the most common verification schemes to exclude mulesed wool.
Brands can catalyse this shift by laying down firm time-bound commitments to phase out mulesed wool. With a growing supply of non-mulesed wool, and a number of robust assurance schemes now available, there is no better time for brands to make the transition.
FOUR PAWS is urging all brands using wool to download a copy of the guidebook and to come up with a plan to move away from mulesed wool. FOUR PAWS intends to launch a list of brands in the coming months that have committed to transition away from mulesed wool.
For more information on how to transition fashion supply chains away from mulesed wool or #WearitKind, please contact us via wearitkind@four-paws.org.
