We are big fans of NATURES Collection, so we sat down with Anne Nørgaarda to talk all about their brand and how they make fur sustainable! NATURES Collection was founded in Denmark in 2010, creating timeless designs which are hand-picked from the best suppliers across the world. They produce products which are durable and stylish, perfect for any home! Welcome Anne, we are so happy you are joining us here at Agood community! We are so excited to hear all about NATURES Collection. We are so interested to hear how NATURES Collection was created, can you tell us? Our CEO, Lasse Pedersen, bought a sheepskin during a vacation in China, and brought it home to Denmark. He saw a possibility to sell these amazing natural rugs in Denmark and began his journey by driving the bus to multiple businesses who might be interested. After countless tries, he found a business who saw the same possibilities as he did and he had his first customer. And the rest is history. How big a role does sustainability play in your personal daily lives? Sustainability is very important to us, and it is a fundamental part of our business and everyday life. In fact, many of the employees at NATURES Collection take sustainable initiatives in their own homes. Here are some of the amazing initiatives among our colleagues: Separation of waste Utilize the entire paper by writing on both sides Adding a ‘No advertisements’-sticker on mailbox Investing in green stocks Mowing the lawn with a hand lawn mower Buys new clothes in a secondhand store Selling excess clothing in a secondhand store or donating it to a good cause Brings a bag to the supermarket instead of buying plastic bags Avoids using chemicals in the garden Buys excess food that has not been sold, from supermarkets, bakeries, gas stations or restaurants. If someone came up to you and asked, how do you make your products sustainable, what would be your answer? First of all, our products are made of natural materials and in the last couple of years our designs are made of sheepskin mainly from New Zealand, Iceland and Tibet. When the company started, we had all kinds of fur like fox, raccoon, mink and so on. But we experienced that our customers prefer sheepskin because of the durable, flexible and beautiful qualities. We decided to focus on sheepskin alone, because the production of this material is transparent. The sheepskins are bought as leftovers from the production of meat and handled at the best tannery in the world. Here they are dressed, tanned and dyed in a sustainable way with no waste of water. In the tanneries they use the method ECO TAN, when processing the sheepskins. ECO TAN achieves the following objectives: Reduction in the use of chemicals in the production process results in less chemical surplus with each product. ECO TAN reduces the total amount of wastewater with chromium by 70%. The concentrated amount of chromium in the wastewater is reduced by 75% when compared to the traditional processes. Automation and upgraded equipment also have a positive impact on energy consumption and on reducing water consumption. 50% of the wastewater can be recycled in production. When the skins are dried, it is done with the method ‘Eco-dye’ which is a circular recycling process. The wastewater from the tanks has a utilization rate of 100% so that there is no waste. The water is recycled while the skins dry and become amazing products that are ready for sale. It is the best way to work with sheepskins and our products benefit from it. The material is obviously of very high quality and very durable, so it fits into any home. If you want to read more how they ensure NATURES Collection is responsible, check out it here. As you may know, we are a Swedish brand and are keen to know how much of a role does your Danish culture impact Natures Collection culture? In Denmark we care a lot about animal welfare. This is why we only buy sheepskins from countries that have the same laws and regulations about animal welfare, as we do. What are the most important values for Natures Collection? Sustainability is very important to us. The core in our belief is that nature gives us the resources we need, without exploiting the vital resources of the earth. In other words, we respect nature and its ecosystem and use the resources it gives to us. This makes NATURES Collection and the fur business in general an important player in the necessary battle against climate change. As we all know, we have to take care of our planet. The massive overconsumption around the world has had a very negative impact on planet earth and we are already able to see this in the shape of massive climate changes. This gives us a very good reason to invest in biodegradable clothes and products instead of the synthetics made from petrochemicals. These synthetic materials cannot break down as easily as the planet deserves and will remain in landfills for centuries. Fur, in opposition to these synthetic products, can be used for many years. To prolong the life of fur garments, pelts first undergo a special tanning process called ‘dressing’. This process protects the hair follicles and the fur, while preserving the skin, making it less likely to disintegrate and therefore more durable. If the fur is properly cared for, it can last several decades before it dries out. The fur will eventually dry out and begin to biodegrade and return to nature. You can even take your old fur and get it composed for your garden. I am sure our community is keen to have a browse at NATURES Collective, so what is your favourite product? Personally, I love this sheepskin rug in short wool New Zealand sheepskin made of two sheepskins. It is the perfect rug for the bedroom floor or anywhere else! The second best product is our Lilly slippers made of cork in the bottom and curly sheepskin from New Zealand on top. They are so comfy and extremely beautiful and warm. If you want to check out their sheepskin collection, check it out here! Thank you so much Anne for having a chat with us, we loved hearing all about NATURES Collection, their values and commitment to sustainability!