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23.07.2020

Ethical Slippers for a Sustainable Lifestyle

Ethical slippers are perfect for those who enjoy sustainable living and want to help tread a little lighter on the planet. At Giesswein, we combine natural materials, green initiatives and local production to make our eco slippers as environmentally friendly as possible. Discover how eco friendly slippers can keep you and your sustainable lifestyle cosy and comfortable.

Table of Contents:

* What Are Eco Slippers?

* Recycling in Our Ethical Slipper Production

* Eco Mulesing Free Wool

* Ethical Slippers for Every Season

* How We Strive to Be Eco-Friendly

What Are Eco Slippers?

Eco slippers and ethical slippers are  slippers or house shoes that have been made with the environment and animal welfare in mind. The goal is to create products that are eco-friendly and have a less adverse impact on the environment. Natural resources, sustainable production, and ethical practices all come into play. Giesswein eco-friendly and ethical wool slippers are made from 100%  virgin wool. This pure wool is never wasted, not even a single scrap! We reuse all of our materials into new products.

compare our eco friendly slippers with our easy chart
 

Climate change has become a vital issue which needs to be tackled. Globally, the world looks to reduce carbon emissions in order to protect the precious environment we live in. Turning to more sustainable means, such as ethical slippers, or  eco-friendly shoes, is one way to help make a difference. At Giesswein, we’d still like to do more for the planet. That’s why we’ve created our  Green Strategy. By combining ethical animal welfare practices, recycling and sourcing natural materials, we can focus more on a greener future. 

Additionally, our eco-friendly slippers have even been featured on  Sustainable Jungle.

Recycling in Our Ethical Slipper Production

We are very big on recycling what we can from our production. Whether it be wool for our  men’s slippers and  women’s slippers or water from production. We hate seeing anything wasted.

Giesswein was the first company in Austria to introduce a water recycling facility. We did this in 1997 and have not looked back since. As we do not add any chemicals into our water production, we recycle up to 90% of all water we use. This is just part of our commitment to our Green Strategy. 

Recycling water helps our products maintain their high-quality, as well as saving water in the process. Virgin wool is a key ingredient that makes our eco slippers special. We’d hate to waste all the brilliant attributes this  type of wool brings! So in keeping with our Zero Waste Policy, any wool scrap material that does not get used during our production process, is recycled and integrated into other products.

Eco Mulesing Free Wool

In our Giesswein eco-friendly slippers you will never find wool that has been involved in mulesing. Mulesing is when the skin is removed from the rear of  merino sheep without anesthetization. The thought behind this method is to put a stop to flies laying their larvae on the sheep. At Giesswein, we say  no to mulesing. In fact, we are 100% against using it. Animal protection is incredibly important to us as a company. We opt for a more sheep-friendly alternative for all of our products including our ethical slippers.

In places such as Patagonia and Uruguay, this type of fly infestation does not exist. As a result, wool from this region is mulesing-free. We use  merino wool from farms in Uruguay to ensure that our products are of a high-quality. Animal welfare standards are constantly checked and tested, and we have contracts in place with partners to guarantee that the wool we source is mulesing-free. This assures our customers that their eco-friendly slippers are sustainably sourced. That way, you can curl up at home in your  cosy slippers with peace of mind. 

our merino is sustainably sourced from merino sheep as we say no to mulesing

Ethical Slippers for Every Season

We have been producing virgin wool eco slippers since 1974. It was Grandma Giesswein who came up with the idea, because she didn’t want to waste the scrap material. Since then, this footwear has become a huge part of  our slipper story and continues to be one of our most popular sellers. Even back then, material waste was being kept to a minimum and reused as much as possible. Today, our processes for our eco-friendly slippers are even more efficient and ethical.

the properties of our eco friendly slippers include being breathable and easy to clean

Our slippers are made from 100% virgin wool. Even the  arch support slipper insole is made from this wool. The properties it brings to our eco-friendly slippers include: making  breathable slippers with a temperature-regulating quality. Meaning our ethical house shoes are the  best slippers to be enjoyed throughout the seasons.

As we do not add any harsh chemicals to our wool, our ethical slippers are therefore 100% compostable. Another aspect of our eco-friendly slippers is the patented anti-slip sole made from flexible natural rubber.  Rubber sole slippers provide excellent grip so you can feel secure in your eco slippers. Our main goal for our eco-friendly and ethical slippers is to ensure we have a high-quality production from start to finish. Coupled with a rigorous fabric and water recycling process, and local production, we strive to make our eco-friendly slippers the best they can be.

How We Strive To Be Eco-Friendly

Choosing sustainable resources, such as for our ethical slippers and eco-friendly house shoes, is at the heart of the Giesswein operation. In our green strategy, we have outlined all the steps we continually take to make our processes as sustainable as possible.

the Giesswein team strive to be environmentally friendly in all parts of our production process

The Giesswein team are exceptionally proud of these four highlights of our sustainable production process:

  • 100% merino wool: We exclusively use merino wool from small farms that meet our high standards of animal welfare and wool quality. All of our wool partners hold the mulesing-free certificate ensuring our  merino wool properties are sustainable.
  • Local production in the heart of Europe: All of our production takes place 100% in Austria. Our wool manufacturing facility is located in Brixlegg, in the heart of Tyrol. From design to manufacturing to shipping, team Giesswein in Brixlegg takes care of each step of the production process. This helps keep our ecological footprint of wool production, for our eco slippers and more, as small as can be.
  • No oil use: Producing our eco-friendly slippers has just got better. Since 2017, we now use 100% renewable resources. We are proud to say we don’t use fossil fuels in heating and operating our production facilities. This means our machinery is operated with zero emissions and your ethical slippers are even greener! 
  • No wasted material: Every scrap of wool that is left over from our wool production process is recycled and integrated into other products. It is one of the many reasons why we can produce eco-friendly slippers successfully.

Feel Good Comfort from Giesswein

At Giesswein, we are a third-generation family business specialising in comfortable footwear. From our  men’s trainers and  women’s trainers, to  kids' slippers, we strive to source our products sustainably. Staying in line with our green strategy, we strive to provide high-quality products that leave less of an impact on the environment.