What drives us?
We are committed to the values of the Serra da Estrela Natural Park. To the Mountain, its culture and ancient wool legacy. To keep it alive and preserve and carry out its long-lasting history, to promote its legacy and culture, and spread the Portuguese burel art in a conscious manner, respecting nature and the mountain, which we call home.
Wool. 100% Natural.
Sustainability starts with the wool and the sheep, that shape the valleys of the Serra da Estrela region, for as long as we can remember.
To produce burel we turn to local shepherds who graze sheep outdoors on the upper plateaus of the Serra da Estrela, where the grass is smoother, making the wool extra soft. We use wool from Bordaleira and Churra, two native breeds, as well as Portuguese Merino, assuring that the animals are treated well, live happily, and that the shearing is done manually to prevent any animal distress. Shearing is necessary for the animal’s comfort, while preserving an ancestral tradition.
Wool is the foundation for everything we do, without causing any negative environmental impact. It is a natural and non-polluting product. Recyclable, renewable and durable.
Wool is the foundation for everything we do, without causing an environmental impact. It is a natural and non-polluting product. Recyclable, renewable and durable.
Recycled Claim Standard Certification
It is wool that inspires us and drives us to its constant recycling and reuse, leading to the creation of a line of recycled burel and blankets, an act that guaranteed us the RSC (Recycled Claim Standard) certification this year, validating our recycling standard and our continued commitment to creating the least possible environmental impact, as well as our zero-waste policy.
ZERO WASTE
In nature nothing is lost, everything is transformed. This universal standard is the basis of our work. Burel Factory has advocated the zero-waste policy since its beginning, with a conscious use of resources and developing partnerships with artists, designers, and associations in order to innovate in the use and valorisation of wool, our raw material, and developing part of our products from burel waste, resulting in unique and conscious pieces, while reducing the environmental impact.
Our waste reduction endeavours also include raising awareness, leading us to create products that call attention to this issue, promoting good practices through our co-workers, partners and clients.
Economic sustainability. A social commitment.
Our commitment of the region’s appreciation and its culture, forces us to encourage its long-term economic and social development, ensuring its sustainability, generating employment, and attracting qualified labour, in order to encourage local and social development.
Specifically: we hire local workforce and provide training. We encourage the younger generation that left looking for better employment conditions in big cities, to return home and settle. We promote the non-desertification of the Manteigas municipality and the interior of Portugal. We encourage small producers and local artisans who supply us in different areas, small landowners who house many of our employees. Several employees started a family, and babies started to be born again in the village of Manteigas. We believe that true sustainability is measured by these indicators.
It is through the our enduring commitment to the community, its training, incentives for qualified work, education, and the exchange of knowledge between generations, that we contribute to the economic and social sustainability of one of the most isolated regions of the country, making it richer, more diverse, and ensuring the existence of a variety of services that bring everyone together for the enrichment and discovery of Serra da Estrela, introducing new ideas and innovation and investing in its future.