Affordable and Sustainable: Flokati Rugs
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 10. 6.05
Here's another in our series of products that are a compromise between affordability and sustainability. (If you know of something less expensive and just as sustainable, feel free to comment.) This Flokati rug is hand-cut from 100% New Zealand wool, using a centuries-old process imported from Greece. The manufacturer claims the rugs are washed in waterfalls scattered throughout the Pindus mountains, creating a fluffy softness. Apparently, the 5th century Vlachs who lived in Samarina, the highest village on the Pindos Mountains, were the inventors of the Flokati Rugs. The women of the village, having access to the wool, would weave Flokati rugs to be sold at bazaars during the winter. This 8' x 11' rug is available for $269 from Flokati Rugs.
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These flokati rugs are about as sustainable as McDonald's hamburgers and chicken nuggets.
The majority of wool these days is sheared from sheep in factory farm type conditions. The sheep are docked and castrated without painkillers, many lose skin and die from infection, workers are paid by the ounce of wool and not by the hour, etc. After a lifetime of wool (if they live that long), they're shipped sans food and water thousands of miles to slaughter. And that's just the animal damage, not to mention the land and water setbacks associated with such factory farming operations...
I don't agree with alot of what PETA has to say (I'm not even vegetarian!), but they're on the mark with these:
http://www.savethesheep.com/
http://www.petaliterature.com/SKN138.pdf
After visiting the above, you may note these flokatis are 100% New Zealand, not that inhumane Aussie wool... But much of New Zealand is just the same. The company to which you've linked makes no mention of humane treatment of animals or environmental concerns (and their parent sells quite a bit of skins).
This is your least treehugging-est post ever. I hope it is retracted.
FAA,
I strongly believe that Australia should be encouraged to treat sheep more humanely. However, this wool comes from New Zealand. Retailers often turn New Zealand wool in response to the press from groups like PETA.
Also, PETA suggests wool alternatives such as "polyfibers, acrylics, cotton blends, rayon, and polyester" which are not sustainable alternatives.
I think, realistically, there's nothing that can replace wool. I would suggest that we continue to press for the humane production of wool.
Justin, as I stated in my original comment much of New Zealand is still like Australia (though there are initiatives ongoing to change that). However, I do agree that nothing can replace wool as of yet, and that polyfibers, etc are not sustainable alternatives.
New Zealand still has rampant wool and factory farming issues. Just because a retailer slaps a "100% New Zealand" tag on it does not make it a sustainable, animal and environment friendly product. That said, linking to and supporting a company which makes no claims of sustainability - one that only touts "100% New Zealand" - is quite irresponsible.
You seem to miss the whole premise of this article, which is: this product represents a compromise between sustainability and affordability. You do not offer an alternative product that strikes a balance between affordability and sustainability.
Rather than missing the point, I just wholly disagree with you.
There is no compromise here. The drawbacks of factory-raised animals, and the impact of such on the environment, more than negates any money you save (I would argue further that anything related to factory-raised animals is not sustainable at all - but that's far too much to express in a comment here).
I didn't offer an alternative because that is apparently yours for the doing. Also, I never claimed that there is an affordable, sustainable alternative... I know Merida is a rug company that uses New Zealand wool and claims to be friendly - but at the size of the rug you mention would run $1500 - $2000. They also offer a fiber comprised of twisted paper made from their own managed, sustainable forest - but again not so cheap, and an 8' x 11' would probably set you back $700.
Your other posts have been great examples, but sometimes - hopefully not forever - sustainable (or a compromise thereof) just isn't cheap.
I understand your argument, and I personally would not buy wool that had come from mistreated sheep.
However, the fact is that there is no information that sheep were mistreated, and PETA has specifically exempted New Zealand wool from their recent boycotts. See this link for more info: http://www.ruralnews.co.nz/article.asp?channelid=42&articleid=9532
Thanks for the alternative example that you offer. It looks like that rug would about six times as much as Flotaki rug. My point is that many people want to buy furnishings for their house today, and they want a choice that is affordable and sustainable as possible, so buying a wool rug at $1000-$1500 is simply not an option.
It's both large cynicism on my part and sad social commentary, but I always assume that companies who don't go out of their way to label their products as "sustainable", "humane", etc. most likely aren't providing products that are. Sad but true, it generally costs more to operate a business that way - so companies that spend the extra time and money usually like to tell you about it (if not only to justify their higher costs and prices...like, say, a paper rug for close to a grand).
On that note I may have been surprised to see a post here linking to a page that didn't start off with the company's founder speaking about how great his/her venture is for treehuggers everywhere and why... I didn't mean to attack... And thanks for the link on New Zealand wool, that is pleasant news.