What's Your Footprint?

What's Your Footprint?

Alpacas on a hill in Peru

The environment and the economy are really both two sides of the same coin. If we cannot sustain the environment, we cannot sustain ourselves."

- Wangari Maathai

"The environment and the economy are really both two sides of the same coin. If we cannot sustain the environment, we cannot sustain ourselves."

- Wangari Maathai

We're working to create a product that's as carbon-neutral as possible.

See everything that goes into your sweater, from the Andes Mountains ↝ your door.

We're working to create a product that's as carbon-neutral as possible.

See everything that goes into your sweater, from the Andes Mountains ↝ your door.

We're working to create a product that's as carbon-neutral as possible.

See everything that goes into your sweater, from the Andes Mountains ↝ your door.



Beginning in the Peruvian Andes, we source our fiber from an animal that roams free - one that has evolved in this habitat for thousands of years. Because alpacas are innate to this environment, they're inherently sustainable.

Beginning in the Peruvian Mountains, we source our fiber from an animal that roams free - one that has evolved in this habitat for thousands of years. Because alpacas are innate to this environment, they're inherently sustainable.

black and white shot of alpaca
black and white shot of alpaca

are gentle.

grass icon

alpacas nibble only the tops of grasses and other plants; they do not rip plants out of the ground, allowing the vegetation to grow back.

efficient icon

4 goat shearings = 1 cashmere sweater
1 alpaca shearing = 4 alpaca sweaters

are efficient.

leave no footprint.

paw icon

unlike goats and sheep, which have sharp hooves that damage pasture and soil, alpacas have paws that leave no footprint (literally).


Furthermore, all alpaca wool we use is OEKO TEX certified, one of the world's best-known labels for textiles - with this certification, you can be certain that every component of this article, i.e. every thread, button, etc, has been tested for harmful substances.

Furthermore, all alpaca wool we use is OEKO TEX certified, one of the world's best-known labels for textiles - with this certification, you can be certain that every component of this article, i.e. every thread, button, etc, has been tested for harmful substances.

photo of alpaca shearing
photo of alpaca shearing

For the shearing process, we’re using a special technique (Inca Esquila) to minimize the time and stress to the alpaca. This method has now been officially adopted by the Peruvian government as the national technical standard on shearing (NTP 231.370-2014).

For the shearing process, we’re using a special technique (Inca Esquila) to minimize the time and stress to the alpaca. This method has now been officially adopted by the Peruvian government as the national technical standard on shearing (NTP 231.370-2014).

photo of peruvian woman sorting alpaca wool

After shearing comes wool production.

We’re currently using solar energy for 50% of our entire wool spinning process, in association with:

pacomarca sustainable alpaca network

After shearing comes wool production.

We’re currently using solar energy for 50% of our entire wool spinning process, in association with:

pacomarca sustainable alpaca network
photo of woman weaver's hands stretching alpaca sweater that says 'manufacturing'

As this is a handmade product, there’s no carbon used, just hard work - each weave in the garment is a Peruvian woman’s handmotion.


black and white shot of alpaca

are
gentle

alpacas nibble only the tops of grasses and other plants; they do not rip plants out of the ground, allowing vegetation to grow back.

4 goat shearings = 1 cashmere sweater

1 alpaca shearing = 4 alpaca sweaters

are
efficient

leave no footprint

unlike goats and sheep, which have sharp hooves that damage pasture, alpacas have paws, leaving no footprint (literally).

Furthermore, all alpaca wool we use is OEKO TEX certified, one of the world's best-known labels for textiles - with this certification, you can be certain that every component of this article, i.e. every thread, button, etc, has been tested for harmful substances.

photo of alpaca shearing

For the shearing process, we’re using a special technique (Inca Esquila) to minimize the time and stress to the alpaca. This method has now been officially adopted by the Peruvian government as the national technical standard on shearing (NTP 231.370-2014).

photo of peruvian woman sorting alpaca wool

After shearing comes wool production.

We’re currently using solar energy for 50% of our entire wool spinning process, in association with:

pacomarca sustainable alpaca network
photo of woman weaver's hands stretching alpaca sweater that says 'manufacturing'

As this is a handmade product, there’s no carbon used, just hard work - each weave in the garment is a Peruvian woman’s handmotion.

divider

After shearing comes wool spinning.

We're currently using solar energy for 50% of our entire wool spinning process, in association with:

shipping

photo of woman weaver's hands stretching alpaca sweater that says 'manufacturing'

Now, this sweater needs to go from the Andes Mountains to you. So, until teleportation is invented, we have to physically ship this product.

The benefits are, our sweaters are so light that a M only weighs around 370 grams.

According to Boeing’s cargo carbon-emissions / flight calculator, that’s ≈ 0.001 T CO2 per sweater - for reference, that’s equivalent to 2.5 miles driven by a passenger car.

arrow

As this is a handmade product, there’s no carbon used, just hard work - each weave in the garment is a Peruvian woman’s handmotion.


shipping

Now, this sweater needs to go from the Andes Mountains to you. So, until teleportation is invented, we have to physically ship this product.

The benefits are, our sweaters are so light that a M only weighs around 370 grams.

According to Boeing’s cargo carbon-emissions / flight calculator, that’s ≈ 0.001 T CO2 per sweater - for reference, that’s equivalent to 2.5 miles driven by a passenger car.

Finally, our entire package is biodegradable and compostable.

Finally, our entire package is fully biodegradable and compostable.

That's all folks! Pretty cool, right? Of course, we're not fully carbon-neutral, nor perfect, but we're committed to being the best we can. Stay cozy (I know I'll be) and thanks for becoming a part of our story :)

- Sebastian, the alpaca

That's all folks! Pretty cool, right? Of course, we're not fully carbon-neutral, nor perfect, but we're committed to being the best we can. Stay cozy (I know I'll be) and thanks for becoming a part of our story :)

- Sebastian, the alpaca