London based knitwear brand Sheep Inc has launched what it describes as the world's first naturally negative carbon footprint t-shirt with a Near Field Communication (NFC) enabled tag for consumers to trace the source and environmental impact of their purchase.

Sheep Inc says its negative carbon footprint t-shirt is the result of the brand’s drive for sustainable supply chain innovation and its commitment to regenerative farming methods.

The brand explains its aim is to create knitwear that leverages the best of nature and science-based material innovation, and it states that it is the first company to not only be classified as a sustainable fashion brand, but also as a regenerative one.

The t-shirt’s raw material was sourced from extra-fine 19.5μ Merino wool from three regenerative sheep stations in New Zealand - Lake Hawea Station, Middlehurst Station and Omarama Station.

Sheep Inc says these farms are at the forefront of regenerative farming and land management and apply feeding and grazing techniques that capture more CO2e from the atmosphere than their operations emit. This results in a carbon-negative wool fibre that is then processed by the brand’s partners in Europe who spin the yarn, manufacture the garments and run the logistics using 100% solar power.

Sheep Inc. also points out that to ensure a zero-waste manufacturing process, each t-shirt is created by Portugeuse specialist knitter Fatextil using its 100% solar-powered, 3D whole garment knitting machines.

Plus, the brand states Merino wool’s self-cleansing properties and zero-odour retention ensures its emissions from washing, and drying are also reduced to a minimum. Sheep Inc says every t-shirt is 100% biodegradable to ensure there are zero traces of it at the end of life stage.

Furthering its efforts towards zero-waste Sheep Inc’s signature design elements such as its hand-finished ‘smit-mark’ detailing on the back of the neck are made using factory offshoot yarn that would otherwise go to waste.

To make the whole process traceable and trackable, the brand has an NFC-enabled tag clipped at the hem of the garment that is made from bio-based EcoPAXX and is removable.

www.sheepinc.com