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Sustainability

Sustainability and Hand Knitted Production at KOCO Knitting

Why This Page Exists

Many European and international brands require suppliers to demonstrate alignment with their sustainability policies before sourcing decisions are made.

These policies commonly assess:

Sustainable hand knit production made in India is often excluded early in the sourcing process because transport from India to Europe increases carbon dioxide emissions. As a result, hand knitting in India is assumed not to align with the brand’s sustainability policy.

This page examines carbon dioxide emissions stage by stage, shows where emissions occur, and explains what drives them. It also addresses sustainability factors that are relevant to policy alignment but cannot be meaningfully expressed as carbon dioxide figures.

The aim is to give sustainability and sourcing teams a clear basis for assessing hand knitting production in India with KOCO Knitting, using data and context rather than assumptions made at the decision making stage.

Sustainable Hand Knit Production: A Data-Driven Assessment

How Sustainable Hand Knit Production Is Assessed

Sustainability outcomes are determined by specific production stages rather than by geography alone.

Carbon dioxide emissions are assessed by following a garment through its production pathway from raw fibre to delivery, identifying where emissions occur and how they are generated.

Where emissions can be calculated using published government conversion factors, they are shown numerically. Where emissions cannot be calculated without speculation, they are excluded from the carbon dioxide analysis and addressed separately as qualitative sustainability considerations.

This reflects how sustainability policies are applied in sourcing and product development decisions within the fashion industry.

Methodology and Data Sources

All carbon dioxide emissions figures are calculated using the UK Government GHG Conversion Factors 2025, published by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. These are the same factors used by UK companies for mandatory climate reporting.

Transport distances are based on:

Sea freight distances follow standard commercial shipping routes. Air distances use great circle measurements between airports. Emissions are expressed as kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per garment. Fuel combustion factors are used without radiative forcing for air transport, in line with conservative corporate reporting practice.

Industrial machine knitting and finishing emissions are based on published life cycle assessment studies expressed per finished garment. Where data cannot be applied without speculation, that stage is excluded and the exclusion is stated.

All figures can be traced to published sources and recalculated independently.

Scope and Assumptions

The comparison below is based on the following fixed assumptions:

Machine knitted pathway:

Hand knitted pathway:

Only stages where emissions differ materially between the two production models are included.

The following stages are excluded because they are equivalent across both pathways or cannot be applied per garment without speculation:

Carbon Dioxide Emissions Comparison

kg CO₂e per 700 g jumper delivered to London

Production and Transport Emissions (Excluding final air transport of finished garment)

Emissions Stage Machine Knit Manufactured in Italy Hand Knit Manufactured in India
Sea freight of raw fibre from Australia to spinning country 0.35 0.17
Road freight from import port to spinning city 0.007 0.10
Road freight from spinning city to knitting city 0.000 0.18
Knitting, linking, washing, drying, pressing and finishing 0.09 to 0.17 0.00
Subtotal excluding final air transport 0.45 to 0.53 0.45

Final Air Transport of Finished Garment

Emissions Stage Hand Knit Manufactured in India
Air transport of finished garment from Chennai to London 3.06

Reading These Figures

When the final air transport stage is excluded, the hand knitted garment carbon footprint associated with producing in India is comparable to those associated with machine knitted production in Italy.

The difference in reported emissions arises from the final air transport of the finished garment from India to London. Those emissions come from passenger flights that operate regardless.

Presenting the figures in this way separates production related emissions from the transport decision and provides clearer context for sustainability assessment.

Fibre Choice and Transport Emissions

Transport emissions vary depending on fibre origin and spinning location.

Mohair sourced from South Africa results in lower transport emissions when spun in India than when spun in Italy. Alpaca sourced from South America results in lower transport emissions when spun in Italy than when spun in India.

Material choice and spinning location together influence transport emissions and can be assessed for each collection.

Five Year Comparison: Replacement Cycles

Production Model Number of Jumpers Purchased Over Five Years Total CO₂e
Machine knit manufactured in Italy 3 jumpers 1.77 to 2.04
Hand knit manufactured in India 1 jumper 0.52

If a customer purchases three machine knitted jumpers over five years because each garment wears out and requires replacement, the total carbon dioxide emissions are the sum of three production cycles.

If a customer purchases one hand knitted jumper that lasts the full five years, the total carbon dioxide emissions over that period are 0.52 kg CO₂e when final air transport is excluded.

This demonstrates how garment longevity directly affects total emissions over time.

Sustainable Hand Knitting Factors Beyond Carbon Dioxide

Fibre Composition and End of Life

Hand knitted garments produced by KOCO are made from 100 percent natural fibres such as merino wool, mohair and alpaca. These fibres biodegrade at end of life. Machine knitted garments commonly contain synthetic fibres that persist in landfill and shed microplastics during washing.

Garment Longevity and Repair

Sustainable hand knitted garments are constructed for durability and repair. Sections can be re-knitted and garments can be adjusted rather than discarded. Longer garment life reduces replacement frequency and the need for repeated production.

Labour and Daily Operations

Hand knitting for KOCO takes place in rented village workspaces. The knitters live within the same villages and walk to work each day. There is no commuting by car, bus or motorcycle. Machine knitted production typically takes place in industrial facilities where workers travel to work. Those daily journeys form part of the operational footprint of factory based production even though they are rarely allocated at garment level.

Energy Use in Garment Construction

Hand knitting uses no electricity during garment construction or assembly. Machine knitting relies on powered knitting machinery, industrial sewing machines, factory lighting and mechanical finishing processes which require continuous energy input.

Production Scale and Waste

Garments are made to order rather than produced in speculative volumes. Overproduction, unsold stock and disposal of unworn garments are avoided.

Supply Chain Visibility

Production volumes allow clear visibility of each stage involved in making a garment. Spinning locations are known. Knitting locations are known. Finishing processes are known. Movement between stages can be identified and described. This level of visibility is possible because production runs are small and relationships with each stage of the supply chain are direct.

Conclusion

The higher carbon dioxide emissions associated with hand knitting in India arise from the final air transport of the finished garment from India to Europe. Those emissions come from passenger flights that operate regardless. As a result, brands can confidently work with KOCO Knitting, knowing that sustainable hand knit production will align with their hand knitting sustainability policy requirements.

Data Review

This assessment reflects data available as of 26 December 2025.