Lanificio Luigi Colombo, always attentive to comply with ethical codes in order to protect the environment, the animals and the native peoples, pursues its eco-friendly business growth strategy. New important goals have already been achieved and new projects are underway.
Transforming noble fibres into excellent cloths, guaranteeing full traceability as well as offering a green world to the future generations.
Lanificio Colombo's sustainable world.
A BIO supply chain: protecting the cashmere goats, the communities of shepherds of Inner and Outer Mongolia and ensuring the traceability throughout the manufacturing process, thus obtaining ecological products. This is the first example of an integrated and certified supply chain of noble fibres. BIO CASHMERE® fabrics are made in compliance with the environmental and social criteria defined by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and those with a natural fiber content higher than 95% are certified organic.
The certificate of conformity guarantees the entire bio process of the product with strict and rigorous evaluation criteria for all the production phases, thus ensuring complete traceability.
The control of the whole chain starts from the organic raw material to continue throughout the transformation process. All units of the production flow must have adopted an environmental policy along with specific procedures that allow the correct management and continuous monitoring of the ecosystem protection rules.
Employing colours obtained from plants, leaves, flowers, bark, roots, fruits and lichens to dye fabrics and clothes is another production process that respects the environment. Nature offers a vast palette of nuances; each vegetable has its own relationship with the earth and the sunlight which activate the dye principles giving life to original and unique shades.
Lanificio Colombo has obtained the GOTS CERTIFICATION for the processing of wool and cashmere.
This recognition is the result of important and continuous investments aimed at the environmental protection through innovative and eco-sustainable processing systems.
Lanificio Colombo protects the future of the shepherd communities of Inner and Outer Mongolia and guarantees the welfare of the animals. Passion for noble fibres and respect for the environment have always distinguished Lanificio Luigi Colombo. This engagement has grown and put down roots in time, in addition to looking after new needs of those people who live in Inner and Outer Mongolia, cramped but fascinating territories. Lanificio Luigi Colombo has immediately reacted to the aid request to protect those beautiful lands and the populations who live there. This is the purpose behind the foundation in the Sustainable Fiber Alliance Association (SFA). This non profit international organization has three clear goals:
with a Code of Practice adopted by the herding communities to protect and restore vulnerable grasslands while respecting biodiversity.
implementing a Safeguard Code leading to guarantee livestock breeding systems in compliance with animal welfare, especially during very harsh climate seasons;
creating sustainment networks to herders’ families to help them during market oscillations; allowing herds to grow through a livestock breeding program addressed to quality and best fibre selection; choosing grasslands only after an accurate evaluation about environmental impact and an economical support against risks caused by critical climate conditions.
Lanificio Luigi Colombo and Sustainable Fibre Alliance have started the Chain of Custody Project aiming to guarantee full traceability of the fibre in compliance with the safeguards implemented by the association.
ZQ MERINO WOOL stands for a better quality of life
RESPONSIBLE WOOL STANDARD (RWS) to guarantee a responsible breeding
GOTS yarns are textile products made in compliance with the environmental and social criteria defined by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and those with natural fibre content over 95% are certified organic.
The certificate of conformity guarantees the entire bio process of the product with strict and rigorous evaluation criteria for all the production phases, thus ensuring complete traceability.
The control of the whole chain starts from the organic raw material to continue throughout the transformation process. All units of the production flow must have adopted an environmental policy along with specific procedures that allow the correct management and continuous monitoring of the ecosystem protection rules.
The GOTS certification also requires the compliance with national regulations related to workers' rights, health and safety in the workplace, the prohibition of child labour, the recognition of wages and established working hours.
ZQ growers are committed to protecting our environment as well as the animals and the people behind their business.
ZQ sheep graze on pastures in "free range" extensive farming conditions in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and South America. By choosing ZQ products, we are certain that the sheep are humanely treated, well fed and not subjected to cruel practices. This means that their fibres are of the highest quality and performance, season after season.
Growers supplying ZQ wool are required to provide and care for their livestock in accordance with the Five Freedoms at all times:
freedom from hunger or thirst
freedom to express (most) normal behaviour
freedom from fear and distress
freedom from pain, injury or disease
freedom from discomfort
ZQ Natural Fibre is fully traceable back to the individual farms the fibre is blended from, connecting ZQ product to the people behind it and giving confidence in the integrity of the fibre.
We at Lanificio Colombo work with partners who care about their animals, our planet and the people.
It's not a story, it's a way of life
The Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) is an industry tool designed to recognize the best practices of farmers, ensuring that wool comes from farms with a progressive approach to managing their land, and from sheep that have been treated responsibly.
The standard is globally applicable to all breeds of sheep and any cruel practice is strictly prohibited.
The key points in the RWS are:
- Protecting Animal Welfare, according to the Five Freedoms
- Preserving the Earth, protecting soil health, biodiversity and native species
- Chain of Custody, the identity of the RWS wool is maintained at all times, from the farm to the final product
- Credible Certification, a professional third party certification body audits each stage in the supply chain
- Confident Communication, only products with 100% certified wool may carry the RWS logo
- Stakeholder Engagement, the RWS was developed with the input of farmers, animal welfare experts, land conservation experts, brands and retailers from all parts of the globe.
There are certified farms in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Uruguay and United States, while supply chain certification exists in several other countries.
Passion, technology and research are at the basis of the constant work carried out by Lanificio Luigi Colombo, world leader in the production of noble fibres fabrics. The precious and selected raw materials such as cashmere, yangir, kid cashmere, kidwool, camelhair, guanaco, vicuña and superfine wools are purchased directly from their originating countries – Mongolia, China, Latin America and Australia. By employing a vertical structure and high technology in the production processing, they are transformed into matchless excellent garments in the two Italian plants based in Borgosesia and Ghemme.