Wool

Wool probably makes up the greatest amount of our materials – from the wool fabric used for the outer of some of the range and the pure lambswool linings. Although we can’t claim that the wool is from our own flock of Dutch Spotted sheep it is sustainable sourced and finished in Italy where wool has been a speciality fabric since the Middle Ages.

Wool is an amazing material that is as versatile as it is common – after all, one look in farmers’ fields or across our moorland and sheep are almost as evident as the stones that make up the walls.

Wool is totally natural, sustainable and biodegradable. It is self cleaning, hypoallergenic, odor and fire resistant. Another big benefit to wool is that it resists compression – a very important feature because the lining of the coats will retain its look and feel over the years.

Wool is hygroscopic – it absorbs moisture and releases it back into the atmosphere. It can hold 30% of its weight as moisture yet the fleece doesn’t feel cold or wet to the touch.

Wool is a natural insulator. The crimp in the fibres traps air to provide warmth in the winter and the wicking effect of wool means that the wool feels warm and dry against skin as well as drawing excess heat away from under the coat.

Synthetic textiles create static and static attracts dirt. Wool doesn’t conduct static so keeps cleaner for longer. Wool also absorbs and binds Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) that cause irritation and odour.

Because wool stays cleaner for longer it needs washing less often and at lower temperatures.When it eventually comes to the end of it’s life it is fully recyclable or it can even be put on the compost heap or used to protect tender plants until it finally degrades and goes back to nature.

And finally – wool is made up of up to 50% organic carbon so it is a natural carbon store. One way stored carbon is released into the atmosphere is by burning (wood, fossil fuels) but wool doesn’t burn due to the high water and nitrogen content. Should the unthinkable happen, your canine companion will be safe from melting artificial fibres.

Waxed/showerproof cotton

It’s just cotton, isn’t it? We’d like to think not.

We only use waxed and showerproof cotton from one source – and there’s a host of reasons why. (This might be the boring bit but it’s central to the rationale behind Green Collar Dog.)

Let’s get the boring bit over first, then.

The cotton is produced to ISO 9002 standard so the products comply with customer and regulatory requirements. The whole process is low impact manufacturing so there is minimal waste and minimal use of water.

And then the bit that we all understand.

The waxes used are fully biodegradable as they containing no PFC’s (perfluorinated compounds) that are seriously nasty to the environment. The waxes are from natural sources like beans and seeds, leaves etc.. The finished products are naturally breathable and soften in warmer conditions but become stiffer and more windproof in colder weather. This makes for a fabric that ages gracefully whilst retaining all of it’s weatherproofing properties.

Bamboo insulation

It’s not just for screening in a garden!

Everyone knows bamboo is fast-growing but it also grows without the need for huge amounts of water, pesticides and other harmful chemicals so it’s very eco-friendly. Our bamboo is simply …well…green!

It’s hypoallergenic but we’ll not bamboozle you here – the definition of hypoallergenic is that a product is less likely to cause an allergic reaction than it’s non-hypoallergenic counterpart.

Bamboo is naturally wicking so it draws moisture away from the skin.

It’s breathable so it allows air to pass through it. This ‘breathability’ prevents condensation and the potential to chill.

And when you’ve done with the coat you can chuck it on the compost heap because the bamboo insulation will rot down along with the rest of the coat.

Everything else….

We work with 100% cotton for the basket liners.

We buy 100% cotton bias binding.

But the fastenings aren’t compostable. Hands up to that one. We have considered replacing the fasteners with straps that can be tied – but we’ve had some feedback about this and it wasn’t very positive. The straps come undone. If you tie them so they don’t come undone then the knot is difficult to undo (and you have an impatient dog being asked to stand whilst you try to unpick a knot with, at best, your fingers. At worst, your teeth!!) However, if you want a coat with straps that you can tie then we’ll happily make one to your specification.