At KYWIE, we prioritize sustainability in every aspect of our production process.
Our sheepskins are sourced as by-products of the food industry, ensuring no additional harm is caused to animals for the sole purpose of acquiring materials.
We are committed to ethical practices and hold ourselves accountable to the highest international standards and certifications regarding animal welfare, energy usage, and water conservation.
Both the design and production of KYWIE products take place exclusively in Europe.
We have established partnerships with production facilities that adhere to stringent guidelines, guaranteeing responsible manufacturing practices. Our production partners operate in a LWG-certified plant, further reinforcing our commitment to sustainable and eco-friendly production methods.
Our production partners maintain a close monitoring system to ensure the origin of the skins used in our products. This rigorous oversight allows us to maintain transparency and traceability throughout the supply chain, ensuring that the materials we utilize align with our sustainability values.
Why no 'vegan leather'
We carry animal wellfare very close to our hearts, and allthough it might sound as a promising alternative, so-called 'vegan leather' is far less eco-conscious as it may seem.
As Quentin Hirsinger, president and founder of the French matéri0, puts it:
“Vegan leather” is a misnomer to designate imitation leather. This is indeed justified if he wishes to reach the vegan consumer market. On the other hand, this approach is illogical if one wishes above all to reduce their environmental impact. Let's remember the obvious: leather is waste from the food industry. It also has exceptional qualities of resistance, biodegradability... Should we then get rid of this to use a polyurethane-coated textile? Similarly, confusion also exists in the vocabulary used. The terms “biosourced” and “biodegradable” are thus frequently associated. However, a biobased plastic is not necessarily biodegradable!"
And he continues: "To limit its environmental impact, the only real action to take is to manage to use as little material as possible. We can only hope that virtuous practices will become widespread in this direction. But we must not lose sight of the fact that they must come above all from the big industrialists.
It is their activities that are damaging the planet today. The impact on the environment of a giant in the food industry which produces millions of plastic bottles has nothing to compare with that of a craftsman using a little rare earth in his workshop to put pigments on a ceramic."