Sericulture or silk farming is the rearing of silkworms to produce silk. At Cocccon it occurs mostly in free nature and, in some cases, indoors in a bamboo tray. In this process, use of any kind of pesticides or genetic spray over leaves or trees is not permitted. To keep silkworms safe from harmful insects or birds, large mosquito netting is attached to protect each tree where the silkworms live and breed. In some cases, Bio-Spray is used. Around 6,600 silkworms/ 1 kg silk can be saved by shifting from industrial silk to peace silk. No silkworms are killed in the process. Silk is obtained after silk moth has left cocoon. Outdoor bred silkworms are healthier and live freely. Moreover, Peace silk is warmer and softer as it is spun as a fibre rather than as a thread.
All silkworms are bred naturally in farms. They see the light of day and are fed as much as needed. Extensive feeding in conventional sericulture (farming of silk) makes the silkworm so fat that they come out of cocoons disabled. They cannot fly or even eat as their mouth is swollen shut by the fat. Silkworm escape the cocoon by making a hole in it and the remaining cocoon is where we derive the silk from. In a way we are taking silk from what is now waste for the silkworm. Same is not the case with conventional sericulture (farming of silk), cocoons are boiled with the silkworm still alive in it. This way the hole can be avoided and a long silk fibre is obtained. This animal cruelty can never be a part of Cocccon Crafts and Loom. We take silk from the remains of silk cocoons, and we spin these broken fibres in a manner which makes the silk fabric even softer than the conventional silk fabric. Even though we use organic ways for degumming and dyeing of silk, we ensure the dye water is sent to ETP plants. The final silk fabric obtained is sent to clients in bags tagged with specific RFIDs. The client has to send the discarded or waste fabric from the CMT process and to our designated recycling agents.
This way peace silk also follows a circular economy.