“We were seen as eco warriors, there wasn’t the interest then, I was flogging a dead horse, but now people are waking up, the public is listening and the table is turning,” Polly McGuckin said.
“The world is changing and funeral homes want to do the right thing by being eco-friendly and sustainable – it’s a lot easier to talk about wool now, every year we are seeing interest grow.
As new and innovative end markets are sought for NZ strong wools, McGuckin says the woollen caskets fit the bill perfectly.
“Another use for strong wool and sustainability are driving the growth,” she said.
“We tick all the boxes – eco-friendly, sustainable, biodegradable, these will be the future for funeral homes.
“Natural Legacy is ahead of its time.”
The idea for Natural Legacy woollen caskets in NZ was borne through the family’s Canterbury-based Yaldhust Wools, a private wool merchant and exporting business founded by McGuckin’s parents John and Marylyn Betts in 1988.
“I grew up in the wool industry; dad was a wool buyer and exporter and we trapsed around the country with him,” she said.
“We have certainly seen a lot of highs and lows in the wool industry as we run the business (Yaldhurst Wools) now.”
McGuckin launched her business Exquisite Blankets in 2009, manufacturing blankets and throws from NZ crossbred lambs’ wool.
It was from Yaldhurst Wools supplying NZ strong wool to UK-based Natural Legacy for its Hainsworth Brand woollen caskets that realised the opportunity for the McGuckins.
“We have a long association with Hainsworth, dad supplied wool for a very long time,” she said.
“Sustainability was becoming very important – we have strong wool here, we were exporting it, so we decided there was a future to introduce Natural Legacy to NZ.”
While they researched the possibility, the McGuckins could not sustain the expense of setting up to process the specialist wool fabric and manufacture the caskets in NZ.
“It’s a certain type of strong wool and we looked at getting set up here in NZ, but it was going to cost millions of dollars, as it takes very expensive machinery to make the heavily-woven felted fabric.”
The caskets are an intricate design with a special corrugated cardboard used alongside the wool felted fabric to avoid rigidity, and underneath wooden slats keep it firm.
They pass the UK weight bearing test of 42 stone, more than 200 kilograms.
It takes three fleeces to make one casket.
Yaldhurst Wools buys its wool from South Island farmers.
“We have great relationships with our clientele of regular farmers,” she said.
“Last time we were at the UK mill we work with, we were reading the logbook of 1895 and saw they were buying a clip from a Central Otago farm – we are still buying from that farm.”
Natural Legacy woollen caskets are sold directly to funeral homes.
“We are not in the public market, but we are exposing them though A&P shows and Field Days and the Campaign for Wool is taking them to the Auckland Home Show,” she said.
“While we are doing well in the rural community with a steady South Island market, and the North Island is taking off, we have funeral homes coming to us now, but we need to get into the urban market.”
McGuckin says the wool caskets are a comforting alternative to a traditional casket, gentle on the eye and soft to touch, making for a more sensitive farewell.
“We are seeing families have a fleece of wool on top rather than flowers,” she said.
The woollen caskets come in two colours – wool white and sandstone grey – and are made in a range of sizes, including ash urns, and completed with a stitched name plate attached with wooden toggles.
At $2000-$2500, they fit the mid-range in casket pricing.
“We are not about big margins. We are not a luxury item as we believe they need to be affordable for all,” she said.
