Since Donna Wilson began making creatures in 2003, sustainability has always been at the forefront. Donna would always choose to work in natural materials such as wool, and worked with with suppliers from the UK. As the studio has grown, we are still fully committed to lowering the environmental impact of each item we produce, by creating products that last, as well as working with suppliers who have the same focus on ethics and quality as we do. We make it our mission to visit all our suppliers and build lasting working relationships, which in some cases have been ongoing for more than two decades. 

Our Lambswool

Most of our product range is made from lambswool, renowned for being the softest and downiest wool available as well as natural fibre with all its incredible properties.

Through our British spinners we source our lambswool from Australia and South Africa, where Merino sheep are bred for their fine, soft wool. This wool comes from the first shearing, is recyclable, compostable, and biodegradable, ensuring minimal environmental impact. We only use wool from 100% non-mulesed sheep, guaranteeing high animal welfare standards.

We also use 100% British wool yarn from Yorkshire, sourced from freely roaming sheep throughout the UK. Their dyeing and spinning partners adhere to strict environmental standards.

All our yarns are OEKO-TEX certified, ensuring they are free from harmful substances and safe to touch.

Why we love wool

Wool is 100% natural: it’s not man-made; it grows right on sheep!

Wool is renewable: every year a new fleece is grown and shorn for the sheep’s well-being and does not harm the sheep in any way.

Wool is biodegradable: when it’s left in soil, it breaks down naturally in just a few months, enriching the earth without adding to landfills or ocean pollution. (NO microplastics!)

Wool is strong and durable: the fibres can bend up to 20,000 times without breaking! It has a natural stretch, resists wrinkles, and bounces back into shape too.

Wool is versatile: great for temperature regulation and able to absorb 30% of its weight in moisture before feeling damp. It’s also hypoallergenic, has antibacterial properties, and natural breathability.

To learn more, visit: Campaign for Wool

Antiplastic

We all have enough plastic in our lives and at Donna Wilson it’s been our mission to eliminate single use plastics altogether from everything we do. We really dislike conventional plastic packaging, so we’ve gone the extra mile to find eco-friendly alternatives to keep your products safe during shipping.

We use recycled paper ‘bubble wrap’, and corn starch ‘peanuts’, and shredded cardboard boxes to create protective packaging. Your order will arrive in a recycled paper bag or cardboard box.

Our swing tags are made from recycled paper and attached with string or with string or kimble tags made from recycled plastic. Our polyester stuffing, used for some of our lambswool creatures and bolsters, is made from recycled bottles too!

Manufacturing

In 2020, Donna opened Knit Shop in Dundee, Scotland - a micro factory dedicated to knitting, design, and finishing. She still remembers how the local knit factory closing affected the community. Starting Knit Shop is Donna's way of keeping the tradition of knitwear and textile production alive in Scotland, ensuring those valuble skills are passed down. Knit Shop also offers graduate training programs and job opportunities for the local community.

At Knit Shop we knit all the yarn panels that are used to create all our lovely lambswool products, including our signature creatures. After the knitting process, we wash the panels to felt the fabric, dry and press them, and send them to our talented team of outworkers across the UK. Elaine, who lives in Orkney (a small island in the north of Scotland), has crafted over 5,000 Cyril Squirrel Foxes over the years! 

For the products we can't make in the UK, we collaborate with small, specialised manufacturers worldwide who share our belief in sustainability and ethical practices. We cherish these long-term relationships and visit the factories regularly to make sure the working standards meet our expectations. 

Reducing Waste + Encouraging Circularity 

We create our collections through small batch production, focusing on demand and quality. This not only helps us cut down on waste and excess stock but also gives us the freedom to be creative.

We’re always on the lookout for new ways to reduce waste during production. One of our favorite techniques is called shaping, which we use on our knitting machines and allows us to adjust the shape of our knitted pieces by adding or reducing stitches. We also use techniques like short rows to cut down the amount of yarn used and reduce waste.

We love to repurpose scraps and off-cuts from our production by turning them into fun craft kits and unique creatures or even process them into stuffing.

We always encourage our community to repair and rejuvenate their well-loved knits where possible, with our Care & Repair Kit and ‘how-to’ videos for easy repair tips using materials you have at home.

Donna believes that with everything we create we should aim to leave the world a little better than we found it. While we know no one’s perfect, we’re always working towards reducing our impact, and understand that it's an ongoing project.