WE TAKE RESPONSIBILITY    

.KOPYTO. and 90% of merino wool products in our offer* are RWS (Responsible Wool Stnadard) certified. Certified products are marked with an RWS label and our certificate number that you can see below:

RWS standard means that merino wool, from sheep to your product, is strictly controlled by independent auditors and we know exactly where it comes from, but above all how the animals and the natural environment were treated.

The Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) requires all sites, from wool farmers to the seller in the final business-to-business transaction, to be certified. RWS farmers and ranchers must meet animal welfare, land management, and social requirements.

The RWS certificate - how it works?  

RWS standard is ensuring responsible wool from sheep to store.

• Animal welfare protection
  The Five Freedoms of animal welfare are protected with reference to standards and best practices around the world.
  
• Land health preservation
  Progressive methods of land management are practiced on RWS farms, protecting soil health, biodiversity, and native species.
  
• Social welfare protection
  Social welfare, working conditions, and the health and safety of workers are addressed.
  
• Chain of custody
  Certification makes sure the identity of the RWS wool is maintained from farm to final product. Learn More
  
• Credible certification
  A professional, third-party certification body audits each stage in the supply chain.
  
• Confident communication
  Only products that meet all requirements may be labeled with the RWS logo.
  
• Stakeholder engagement
  The RWS is managed with the input of farmers, animal welfare experts, land conservation experts, brands, and retailers from all parts of the globe.
  

Transparent supply chain - animal safety and environmental protection.   

The RWS-certified merino wool used in our products comes from Australia from Congi Farm - a family farm with a 100-year tradition. This is a modern farm where merino sheep graze freely on over 10,000 hectares of land and the farm is RWS certified, meaning that it is regularly audited and operates in a sustainable manner.

Everything here works according to the principle "The better care we take of the environment, the better products we receive in return" (Michael T. Field)

(photo of sheep from Cogi farm, Australia) 

Sustainable and responsible wool yarn production process.   

Not only sheep farmers had to undergo certification. Our Italian manufacturer of merino wool yarn also operates in RWS standard. We know each other personally and we chose them because of its consistent business philosophy and European location. This affects the shortest possible supply chain: merino wool from Australia goes directly to Italy, and then to us - to Poland.

Our merino wool is made in a family-owned Italian manufactory where:

• 75% of energy comes from renewable sources (hydro power plants and solar panels),
• 30% of water is recovered and reused in production, reducing total water consumption by 31.7% (from 2012-2021)
• CO2 emissions have been reduced by 60% thanks to the introduction of sustainable production methods in recent years,
• production waste is recycled,
• yarn dyeing is sustainable and safe (many products are Cradle to Cradle certified)
• produce mainly certified and cruelty-free natural yarns: wool, cashmere and silk.

(photo of Italian manufacturer of our yarn, Italy) 

From "cradle to cradle" - responsibly and safely.   

In addition, the wool yarn from which our products are made is Cradle to Cradle certified - it is the gold standard for the circular textile industry and the highest standard of environmental and human safety.

The "cradle to cradle" principle (literal translation of the certificate name) is based on five criteria: materials safe for health, reuse of raw materials, use of renewable energy sources, carbon dioxide emissions, water resource management and finally social responsibility. It forces thinking about the circularity of products from the very first moment of their creation.

 Merino wool produced and dyed without the use of chlorine.  

Another very important factor contributing to the sustainability of our merino wool is the fact that no chlorine is used in its production. It is a widely used substance in the wool industry, which unfortunately has a dramatic impact on the environment. Our merino wool is treated without the use of chlorine, which makes it safe to use for you, but also for people working in production, as well as for the natural environment.

Merino wool's carbon footprint reduced to a minimum.  

All the above practices, combined with our philosophy (more about which you can read >> here << ) and a short, fully monitored supply chain, make the KOPYTOs offer - we are not afraid to write it - probably the most sustainable and ethical woolen products in Poland market (except of course second-hand merino wool).

We realize that much more can be done and we promise - this is not the end. We are working on the next stages of creating a sustainable, responsible business and closing our production in a circular manner. We hope to tell you more soon.

*ref. total production in 2023. Certified products are marked in the store and will be added to the offer systematically

MORE RWS INFO: https://textileexchange.org/responsible-wool-standard/