Wool’s many lives
22/10/2024
Of all textile fibres, wool is arguably the one that is the most recycled (and respun into yarn). The report estimates that some 70,000 tonnes of wool are recycled every year, or about 6% of yearly use/production, drawing on 2022 data from the International Wool Textile Organisation and Textile Exchange. This is a point that Woolmark raised when it launched a Recycled Wool standard earlier this year.
The authors specifically outline three factors that impact how many times wool can be mechanically recycled. The first is initial fibre length, the report notes that “shorter wools, such as merino, can be expected to be less sensitive to fibre breakage during mechanical recycling”. The structure of the fabric also plays a “significant” role, with knitted fabrics preserving fibre length better than woven ones. “Recycling post-consumer knitted garments yields better results in terms of fibre quality retention,” the report says.
Finally, recycling methods themselves impact the quality and recyclability of post-consumer wool fibres. “Machine settings and process techniques can significantly impact fibre properties and the environmental footprint of the recycling process,” the authors write.
Photo of Manteco booth at Première Vision Paris
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