Is Wool Sustainable? Here’s What You Need to Know

In 2022, wool has woven itself -pun intended- into every aspect of our day-to-day lives. From the softest sustainable T-shirts for men and organic mattresses to eco-friendly furniture, wool fibers are well-loved in pretty much every industry. So much so that around 1.15 million kilograms of clean raw wool is produced by more than 1.18 billion sheep around the world. Unsurprisingly, Australia has the largest wool industry, producing 345 million kilos of wool every year.

With alpaca and merino wool being the top two textiles of choice, this natural, biodegradable, and resource-efficient fiber is lauded as one of the most sustainable textiles.

But how sustainable is wool exactly? Is it ethical? Can it be considered a high-performance fabric?

Wool dates back to 10,000 years ago. Ancient civilizations from Peru to Siberia have been taking advantage of the numerous benefits of wool to take care of their clothing, dietary, and shelter needs. While wool fibers can come from many different animals, sheep are by far the most common due to them being widely domesticated.

Sheep are typically shorn every spring and if done currently, their fleece comes off in one piece, leaving the animal unharmed during the process. Then, the fleece is collected and scoured to remove dirt and lanolin – an organic oil commonly found in skincare.

Once the first step is completed, it’s time for wool to be prepared for spinning by carding or worsting. The carding technique (aka separating fibers by pulling them apart) offers a “fluffier, warmer product because of the air pockets it creates,” according to author Melissa Kwasny. Worsting, on the other hand, straightens the fibers and is much similar to combing hair which “results in a tighter-spun thread that is more durable than woolen fabrics but not as warm.”

Then, these yarns are woven into the fabric with the help of high-speed, large horizontal looms. When the process is complete, the fabric can be dyed, brushed, etc.

Unfortunately, not all wool is ethical. There is a procedure called “mulesing” in which sheep are forced to lie on their backs while their skin is carved in order to avoid fly-borne disease and infections. This inhumane technique is not only unethical but also highly unsustainable as sheep, more often than not, die painful deaths. Australia, which is the largest wool production industry, as we mentioned, still uses the “mulesing” method.

New Zealand is the world leader in ethical wool production with the country’s Animal Welfare Act strictly prohibiting mulesing. That’s one of the reasons why sustainable fashion brands like Allbirds choose ethically-sourced merino wool from New Zealand to create their eco-conscious sneaker collection.

Granted, wool is by no means vegan, but it is a durable, utterly soft, and natural fiber that can relace chemical-packed fabrics like synthetic polyester and nylon which severely harm the environment – let’s not forget that 200 000 and 500 000 tonnes of microplastics from textiles enter the marine environment each year.

In Conclusion: Is Wool Sustainable?

While the wool industry has been guilty of using inhumane practices in the name of fashion, ethical wool is sustainable, resource-efficient, biodegradable, and incredibly long-lasting. Ultimately, everything comes down to the collection process and whether or not chemicals, in the forms or dyes or finishes, were used to create a certain piece of clothing.

It would be best to trust brands that are 100% transparent when it comes to the origin of their fibers. But overall, wool is a sustainable fabric that deserves a place in your eco-consious, all-year-round arsenal.