Fair Merino wool felt: Cuddly soft and without agony
The production of Pack & Smooch is a craft. When processing our cell phone cases, laptop bags and accessories, we pay attention to the highest quality: clean seams and perfectly cut edges testify to sophisticated custom work. In the same way, we pay attention to the use of high-quality materials, such as robust cowhide and finest merino wool felt - the highest quality for long durability, while naturally keeping animal welfare and environmental compatibility in mind.
But thinking and acting sustainably requires us to be careful, both for us and for our suppliers. In the entire production chain. We purchase our own mulesing-free merino wool felt mixture from our German manufacturer. The reason: Cruelty to animals through so-called mulesing of the sheep. Mulesing is the removal of the skin around the tail of the animals - without anaesthesia! This procedure is often used in Australia to protect the animals from fly infestation. Almost 90 percent of the popular merino wool comes from Australia.
Fly maggot disease in hot Australia big problem
"In order to supply as much wool as possible, Merino sheep were bred on many skin folds - and are therefore particularly susceptible to the infestation of fly maggots, writes the German animal protection federation on its Internet side. "The flies lay their eggs into the warm, damp, badly ventilated areas of the skin folds. There the optimal climate prevails, so that the eggs develop to maggots. The hatched fly maggots eat their way into the living tissue of the animals. This leads to severe inflammation and often to the death of the sheep. Especially at high outside temperatures the maggots develop quickly".
Also the animal rights organization PETA is strictly against mulesing, this is a cruel and painful method for which there are "more humane" alternatives. The National Farmers Federation, on the other hand, believes that this controversial practice is the most effective way to minimize the risk of the fly maggot disease myiasis, which otherwise kills 3,000,000 sheep annually. But we at Pack & Smooch want clarity, especially since this appalling procedure is banned in Germany. We therefore expressly welcome the decision of our manufacturer, who incidentally, like all German producers, had no alternative for a long time, as the wool from the various countries of production was sometimes mixed.
Pack & Smooch continues to process fine merino wool felt!
Of course, we still use the very fine wool of the merino sheep, but no longer from Australia. Besides Down Under, merino wool is also produced in New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina. In New Zealand and South Africa "mulesing" is forbidden and in Argentina this method is not common according to the Animal Protection League. Merino wool is breathable and weatherproof and therefore especially suitable for functional and outdoor clothing. Thanks to our own wool felt mixture and its cuddly soft robustness it is perfect for the products of Pack & Smooch