Circular Swanny
If asked what was quintessentially New Zealand, we’d all rattle off a couple of things. For many, the Swanny is on that list.
For over 110 years, Swanndri has been crafting durable garments designed to endure for generations. They believe that their apparel is meant to be worn regardless of the weather, season, or occasion – for making memories.
There will be those of you who have a Swanny in the wardrobe that has been passed down from father to son, mother to daughter.
These timeless designs are stitched together by the team with some nifty clothing engineering. Every seam is reinforced with single, twin, and even triple topstitching. For those high-wear areas, they add bar tacks to strengthen pocket openings. Tensile strength, shrinkage, seam slippage, and abrasion are all tested to withstand the toughest situations – whatever New Zealand can throw at them.
In many ways, it’s a garment that lasts forever, but recently, Swanndri has been looking at the life cycle of its products beyond the wardrobe and our great big backyard.
So, what happens to a Swanndri once you’ve worn it out? When it’s been handed down over the decades, and it is finally time to let it go?
The core ingredient of a classic Swanny is wool – a natural fibre grown from the land. That’s why, in 2023, they returned one to the land and decided to bury a Swanndri. This shows how this natural fibre, wool, can be so hard-wearing and long-lasting while it’s on your back, but when the time comes, it can be returned to the earth and will break down naturally, leaving no trace.
Up on a hill at The Wandle, a farm in Middlemarch, Central Otago (run by Swanndri suppliers), Tara, the co-manager of the farm, gifted an old Swanny of hers that was about ready to retire. It was cut into four pieces. Three of these were buried on the farm, and the fourth was to be taken away and buried close to Swanndri’s Christchurch head office so they could monitor progress.
Passionate about the project and the science behind it, Swanndri enlisted the help of expert Emma Wilding, Innovation Project Manager at The New Zealand Merino Company. Emma’s role involves collaborating with farmers to enhance the value of their businesses and the brands they supply through sustainable, ethical, and regenerative practices.
According to Emma, there will be some decomposition in six to twelve months, but it might take 18 months for it to break down completely. As Emma points out, though, it’s not just about how fast wool breaks down. “It’s about showing how wool can be a force for good.”
“Because when you buy a woollen garment from Swanndri, you’re not just buying a piece of clothing that’s completely biodegradable, you’re supporting farms that are regenerating the land and their sustainable supply chain – you’re supporting a whole circular ecosystem.”
As Emma mentions, “Plastics have only really been around for 80 years. And they have completely changed the way we live – often not for the better. Whereas wool’s been around for thousands and remains unchanged.”
“Wool is back to basics. Back to nature. Back to what’s best for all of us – for you, for the animals, and for our planet.”
