Here at Ethical Edit, we’re proud to be working with our Indian mill to bring ‘Peace Silk’ to Australia and New Zealand.

Ahimsa silk, also known as peace, ‘non-violent’ or ‘cruelty-free’ silk, is a beautifully ethical fabric is created from fibres spun after the silk moth has naturally escaped from the cocoon. It is similar to Ahimsa Silk Promoted by Mahatma Gandhi, ‘Ahimsa’ means respect for all living things and avoidance of violence towards others.

True to our sustainable philosophy, we at Ethical Edit are opposed to traditional silk production, in which silkworms are boiled alive and toxic chemicals are used to de-gum the cocoons. Instead, our mill has created an ethical form of rural co-operation where they treat the silkworm, their people and their environment with the utmost care.

More humane, more sustainable

Our mill’s silkworms are reared in nature as much as possible. To keep them safe from harmful insects or birds, large mosquito nettings are attached to each tree where the silkworms live and breed.

Once the cocoons are ready to hatch, they’re placed indoors on a bamboo platform, or hung vertically from the ceiling. In approximately one week, silk butterflies (moths) hatch naturally by themselves, or in some cases, the cocoons need to be pierced by well-trained staff to assist the moth.

The process of eliminating gum (sericin) and impurities from raw silk is known as ‘de-gumming’. In this case, natural bio soap is added to hot boiling water, rather than the toxic chemicals used by other silk manufacturers to add weight to the silk (such as chromium, barium, lead, iron or sodium magnesium).

Even the production processes are more sustainable than most. 20% of the company’s power looms have been upgraded with solar powered motors. Spinning and reeling is completely processed either manually or with solar machines, which means that 70% of their spinning and weaving operation is zero-carbon.

Water usage is minimised in their production process as used water is filtered and re-used, plus residue from the degumming process is used as compost for agriculture, further reflecting our suppliers’ ‘wealth from waste’ philosophy.

Peace to the environment

The mill uses absolutely no pesticides or genetic sprays on the leaves or host mulberry trees that feed their silkworms. To improve biodiversity, they have cultivated rice and potato crops alongside the mulberry host trees – which has helped to improve the ecology of the entire region and create more food for local workers.

Jute bags and reclaimed cardboard are used for packing and storing of the products, while custom-made digital printing machines use GOTS-certified inks which have zero impact on human skin and the earth’s skin – our environment.

Which means that by the time these sustainably produced silks reach your hands, you can be assured that they’re peaceful by name, and by nature.

As Gandhi most famously said, “you must be the change you wish to see in the world." By supplying Peace Silk to our clients, we’re doing our best to be that change.