How Sustainable is Your Cashmere? 

Look good and feel great with Kinalba’s sustainable cashmere approach

The age of sustainability is continuing to grow. Energised consumers are increasingly more environmentally conscious in their buying decisions. Sustainability has become more than just one line of thinking when it comes to making a purchase. Our planet depends on it. The continued survival of the human species depends on it.

People are rightly demanding to know the environmental impact on the products we all purchase. This is especially true in the fashion world and the clothes we buy. The problem is low quality, cheaply manufactured clothes that have no enduring quality i.e. they are easily disposable. Otherwise known as fast fashion. We need to stand back and consider the overall impact of exactly what we’re buying. Luxury products must not come at the expense of the planet. In light of this, cashmere production for fashion is rightly a much discussed topic. It’s with this in mind that Kinalba places sustainability at the heart of our ethics and ethos. It’s important that we not only recognise the environmental challenges and can address our customers’ sustainability standards – we have a moral obligation. And we provide ourselves by setting the highest standards we can. We also know that you can look great but also feel great when your values are aligned with the products you wear.

Positively Addressing Sustainability Challenges

The Kinalba Way

While we cannot immediately affect climate change we can minimise our impact and behave responsibly and positively. We can also ensure our goats are safeguarded against extreme conditions. Our approach is to work closely with the herdsmen and help them provide the optimal conditions for their flocks. This means combing the goats only once per year and only at the end of winter. It’s vital that animal welfare is paramount in our approach. Our cashmere is of the finest quality available – that means starting at the very source. That way we achieve procuring the finest micron and optimal length – as well as having happy goats and herdsmen.

Challenge 2 – The Rising Demand Of Cashmere

The global cashmere clothing market is ​valued at $2.6 billion in 2018​ and is estimated to reach $3.5 billion by the end of 2025. With demand only increasing, there is justified concern for how sustainable cashmere is. Even over the previous two decades, strong growth has come down to the mainstreaming of the fashion industry; cashmere became too accessible on all levels. The increase in demand led to cashmere being produced in non-specialist cashmere factories, which focused more on volume and less on the quality of the garment and the herdsmen and farmers who make it. The challenge is that growers are often swayed by the higher volumes and prioritise quantity over cashmere quality.

The Kinalba way

To help mitigate against this, we don’t drive down the cost with our herdsmen. We ensure they are compensated at a premium level. That’s why our products are the best they can be, and don’t come cheap. We pay for our cashmere to be produced responsibly. Quality always comes first. We’re also pleased that other cashmere manufacturers are following suit – as well as Governmental initiatives introduced to manage demand versus resource appropriately. And when it comes to cleansing our cashmere at source, Kinalba cashmere is guaranteed ISO18254 standards – known as APEO – the method for the detection and determination of alkylphenol ethoxylates.

When considering buying any cashmere product, we recommend you consider the brand and their sustainability values. If something is priced which seems too good to be true – it’s because it probably is. And if you’re looking for the ultimate cashmere accessory for you or your home, no need to go any further. We’ve got you.

Challenge 3 – Grassland desertification

Cashmere production is dependent on natural grasslands in limited regions – typically Mongolia, China, and Afghanistan. Due to this finite resource, these lands are particularly vulnerable. As mentioned above, increasing demand is causing many producers to expand the size of their herds. The knock on effect is the degradation of the grasslands from overgrazing.

The Kinalba way

Kinalba is currently part of a wider initiative in Inner Mongolia which aims to encourage herdsmen to move areas to prevent desertification of the land. This is an ongoing project and is a long term plan. This also benefits the herdsmen through price premiums which improve their quality life and their flocks.

Ensuring Quality – What Else Are We Doing?

When it comes to being sustainable we’re always looking at what more we can do. We’re always aiming for continuous improvement. Luckily our supply chain is fairly minimal – we manage everything ourselves directly from source. That ensures full transparency and traceability all the way through the manufacturing process. We do use suppliers for our packaging so we quality assess their sustainability practices and standards. As such every Kinalba product is packaged in sustainable and recyclable materials.