LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO HIDE

We feel blessed to have been able to choose everything from day 1. Who we wanted to be, who we wanted to be with, and how we would achieve what everybody thought impossible: to leave a planet in a better state for future generations. Our world is interconnected like never before, and trade between nations has brought forth many benefits. It allows us to enjoy bananas, chocolate, electronics, cotton, rubber, and so much more that enriches our lives. The exchange of goods and ideas has woven a tapestry of diversity around us. However, this global system leads to the unchecked exploitation of people and nature.. At Wide Open World we build a responsible and fair supply chain, aligning with like-minded individuals who share our vision. We understand that achieving true sustainability requires humility, a commitment to learn about the impact businesses have on Earth systems, and the tenacity to push forward, to show that we don’t just imagine a better future, we make it a reality. The way we operate is the beginning of a new era. A beacon of hope, showing how to achieve true sustainability with the APres model.

Once the sheep are shorn, the wool is packed into bales and leaves Tasmania  to be cleaned and combed. Direction: Italy. Overall, this journey, which uses trucks and seafreight, adds less than a kilogram of CO2e in the atmosphere per garment. Less than a washing machine cycle at 40°C. This is another good reason to buy merino wool. You barely need to wash the thing. That said, we could stop there to make you feel it doesn’t matter. That would be greenwashing (no pun intended). Our work to restore balance with nature sequesters much more than the transportation carbon footprint. But every gram of fossil fuel CO2e released to the atmosphere matters, regardless of sequestration. The responsibility is squarely with us, not with you the customer. So we’ll never stop pushing to reduce our carbon emissions, even though we sequester more than we emit. Because there is no escaping the fact that burning fossil fuels is bad. Slow down movement. Here we come.

The combed wool is then spun by the renowned Italian mill Tollegno 1900.  This is where advanced colours are engineered, spinning methods perfected and the world’s most luxurious wool yarns are born to the sound of machines operating like a philharmonic orchestra. Spinning takes place in their factory in Poland, and colour dyes are applied in their Italian factory. The resulting yarn complies with OEKO-TEX 100 for next-to-skin pleasure, meaning it is free from harmful substances. Last, most of the wool yarn in the world is coated with a synthetic resin to make it machine washable. It makes it feel like plastic and alters its natural properties. You’ve guessed it. We said no. Our wool is not coated for a real, luxurious, hand feel. Did we say merino wool is stain resistant and is one of the best fibres in the world for thermal comfort and to reduce body odour? Now you know, put it to the test, you will be impressed.