The Natural Fibre Company, a specialist woollen mill in Launceston, Cornwall has recently achieved Carbon Reduction accreditation, as part of the Carbon AAA initiative.

The South-west based business is passionate about helping its customers  transform raw fleece into beautiful, high-quality yarn and provides a range of fibre processing services including scouring, carding, woollen and worsted spinning and finishing, all under one roof.

Colin Spencer Halsey, CEO of UKFT member The Natural Fibre Company, said: “As a vertically integrated mill with end-to-end processing we add value to our customers fibre and are always looking at ways to further reduce our waste, energy consumption and manufacturing costs. We were looking for guidance to lead us through this process, making improvements to our business practices and to becoming more energy efficient. By working with Paul Gilbert, Programme Lead of Make it Net Zero and SWMAS, and using the Carbon AAA benchmarking tool and dashboard we were able to create an action plan to make informed decisions, implement immediate changes and set longer-term goals to cut our carbon emissions.”

Paul Gilbert, Programme Lead of Make it Net Zero says: “Working with The Natural Fibre Company has been a rewarding experience and they should be proud of their achievements to date and plans for achieving Net Zero in the future. Given their product and customer base, sustainability and the health of the environment is paramount. They are a model example of how measuring and managing energy can lead to savings and more efficient working practices.”

By achieving a validated carbon footprint as part of the Carbon AAA initiative, The Natural Fibre Company’s manufacturing processes will become even more efficient, creating a better output for the planet and meeting the expectations of their environmentally conscious customers. Sustainability, traceability, and provenance are integral to the company’s activities and core values as a British wool spinner with expertise in handling Wool, Alpaca, Mohair, Rare and Specialised varieties of fleece. They also work with alternative and recycled materials blending them with wool to create new products in an in-house testing facility, which supports the circular and local economy. A range of waste materials generated from the mill’s manufacturing processes are regularly sold on for use in a variety of projects such as padding for pet beds, stuffing for craft-based goods and activities as well as hand spinning.

The Natural Fibre Company is licensed for organic production by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and is supported by the Rural Development Programme for England and DEFRA.

For further information about The Natural Fibre Company and sister company, Blacker Yarns please visit www.thenaturalfibre.co.uk

WATCH HERE

Above is the woollen spinning frame at The Natural Fibre Company. Here they are creating a draft in the bobbins that come off the end of the carding machines to create singles.

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