Zero Waste
It is a goal of MSGK’s to work towards becoming a zero waste production. There are a few things that are already there - pieces are made on a commission basis, so no extra garments are made and left unsold. Wool is purchased per commission - so no extra wool is coming in and sitting there, not being used. For many designs, colours are mixed and matched. In a traditional production line, this would lead to excess fibres being binned. Not at MSGK. Each ball is used to its fullest. This might mean mixing what are called ‘dye lots’ in some pieces, specifically in pieces where colours and mixed and matched - it might mean a different shade of rib, or neckline - it is a design choice, and one that makes each garment all the more unique.
Between makes, ‘zero waste’ pieces are created as one-offs. Made from remnants of wool that could not make it into a commission. These will become more and more available in time, as MSGK strives to use up every piece of yarn as if it’s golddust. It is. It should be treated that way.
Wool
MSGK wool is chosen for multiple reasons - quality being the first. I’ve worked with all types of yarn, and only go with the highest quality wool I’ve found for each style. That means 100% wool for chunkier creations, and in lighter garments, it’s wool that contains the least amount of acrylic yarn. In TheBigPink the fiber contains 71% alpaca, 25% wool and just 4% polyamide.
Yarn is purchased locally, and in small batches so that waste is kept to a very strict minimum.
From the yarn producers*:
“Our supplies mainly come from producers within the European market which, in the same way as Norway (where our main office and warehouse are situated), shall follow the EU’s taxonomy for a sustainable economy. They also, of course, follow the EU’s regulations regarding human rights, animal welfare and sustainability. We have deliveries from Peru, where our alpaca yarn comes from, and they have very similar regulations to the EU regarding these issues and they work actively with social responsibility.
“Our yarn producers work with and offer a wide spectrum of certifications for their products, such as GOTS - Global Organic Textile Standard, RWS- Responsible Wool Standard, RAS - Responsible Alpaca Standard, OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 and Certified Sustainable Mohair.
“Our producers work with and offer a wide spectrum of certifications for their products, such as GOTS - Global Organic Textile Standard, RWS- Responsible Wool Standard, RAS - Responsible Alpaca Standard, OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 and Certified Sustainable Mohair.
“Polyamides come from Italy and Germany.
For chunky garments (pictured), wool is also mulesing free and again, dyed using OEKO TEX certified dyes.
Wool for most commissions is purchased from a local Irish shop, in order to support the local makers’ economy here in Ireland.
Packaging/Labels
It hasn’t been too difficult to keep things plastic free when packaging and posting Miss She’s Got Knits pieces. They’re boxed up in cardboard boxes, bought from a company in Northern Ireland. Tissue paper was purchased from an art shop in Dublin City Centre. MSGK and care labels were purchased from a company based in England. The swing tag is tied using twine, from old stock. Thank You cards, gift vouchers and small brand stickers are all from a great company in Dublin. I’ve tried to keep things as local as possible, but I’m just starting and am sure there’s something more I can do. Maybe the swing tags are unnecessary. I’ll look at that next year when it comes to purchasing again.