Bremworth believe that all manufacturers have an obligation to put sustainability top of mind when developing products. They created these rugs as part of their research-based sustainability program as they journey towards making their products from 100% sustainably sourced natural materials that can be returned to the earth.

The rugs became a reality after Dr Kirstine Hulse, GM – Sustainability at Bremworth, challenged the Bremwoth design team to make a highly desirable and functional rug using only biodegradable natural fibres and almost nothing else.

She explains just how important this innovation could be. “Our research aims to address barriers preventing our wool carpet from completely breaking down at the end of its life. And if we can maintain the integrity of the materials, it also increases the number of secondary uses for used carpet and significantly reduce volumes of textiles entering the landfill.”

Introducing Terra and Strata

Terra is a truly 100% NZ wool rug that’s hand-woven and beautifully textured. Strata is an incredibly soft hand-knotted rug. Both prototype rugs were made without any dyes or plastics by blending natural fibres together. The subtle yet complex colours from sheep’s wool blended with alpaca showcase nature at its best.

Compostable and natural solutions

These experimental rugs allow Bremworth to push the boundaries of product circularity, bringing them one step closer to a fully compostable carpet in the future.

Kirstine says, “Our research is designed to help us build a product range which can be meaningfully reused or naturally returned to the earth in a way that resonates with our customers — without compromising the important design and performance aspects.”

“And we couldn’t do this without partnering with some of the country’s brightest minds, including the Ministry for Primary Industries, AgResearch, NZ Product Accelerator and the University of Auckland.”