Is alpaca wool sustainable?

Looking for beautiful natural products that keep you warm in the winter & autumn? Alpaca wool is a sustainable and animal-friendly choice. You undoubtedly know the Alpaca, the beautiful typical camelid that lives in South American countries such as Ecuador and Bolivia. The wool of these animals is hypoallergenic, lightweight and warm, as well as durable. We will tell you more about it in the next article.

What is Alpaca Wool?

Alpaca wool comes from the camelid alpaca that mainly lives in South America. Alpaca wool is soft, so soft that you can comfortably wear it directly on your skin. The wool of an Alpaca is warmer and stronger than, for example, sheep wool. In addition, it is also water-repellent. Alpaca wool has a high resistance, and also hardly any pilling. This allows you to extend the life of your alpaca clothing. You will be able to keep them in good condition for much longer. Alpaca wool is known as the "fiber of the gods". 

How sustainable is alpaca wool?

Alpaca wool is durable compared to other wool types. Alpacas are considerably less harmful to the environment than sheep or goats and we will go into this in more detail below.

Choose friendliness and sustainability, choose Alpaca

Alpacas are good for the land on which they live and thanks to the grazing and their soft legs, they provide a sustainable living environment that requires little maintenance.

• The animals do not graze in vulnerable ecosystems, but in their natural environment in the high plateaus of the Andes.
• Alpacas eat the vegetation without damaging the root systems or the land, unlike goats and sheep.
• Alpacas need little water and there is sufficient water on the high plateaus where they live. 
• They need less food than other animals that produce natural fiber.
• The droppings of the alpacas can be used as fertilizer.
• An alpaca produces a lot of wool (4 to 5 sweaters per year). That is a lot of wool compared to the cashmere goat, where 4 cashmere goats are needed for the production of 1 sweater!
• The untreated alpaca fiber is completely biodegradable. 
• The processing into fabric is easy and colorful. The alpaca fibers have naturally beautiful shades and there are 22 different colors available: from inky black, over chestnut brown to snow white. Moreover, these colors can also be mixed with each other. This way you get beautiful colors without the need for a chemical process.
• Alpaca wool is one of the most luxurious wool types and it does not sting! 

Conclusion

Alpaca is a sustainable natural fabric with many advantages, it does not sting and it is a warm and luxurious wool. In addition, alpacas are also friendly and good for the earth. At Ecuafina you can buy various alpaca wool products. EcuaFina imports various authentic products directly from the Andes, which are locally produced on a small scale according to ancient traditions. Examples of these beautiful local products are colorful alpaca plaids , alpaca ponchos , apalca sweaters for women , apalca scarves , Panama hats and tagua necklaces. But also delicious gourmet products such as avocado oil, chocolate and coffee.