By Sander Tamm
Last updated: Feb 2, 2025
Pictured: Coat made from 100% pre-consumer recycled wool (WE-AR4)
What is recycled wool fabric?
Recycled wool fabric is a natural animal-based textile made by reprocessing wool fibers diverted from waste streams into new fibers, which are then spun into yarn and woven or knitted into fabric. Pre-consumer materials are wool fibers from manufacturing that are diverted from waste streams. Post-consumer materials come from end-of-life wool products, such as used wool clothes returned by consumers.
In 2023, the share of recycled wool was around 6% of the global wool supply, with 73 thousand tonnes produced. To put that into perspective, consider that 319 thousand tonnes (~4x more) of recycled wool was produced in the same year. Virgin wool is largely produced in Australia and New Zealand, with Europe contributing only negligible amounts. Nearly half of recycled wool, however, is produced in Prato, an Italian city in Tuscany famous for its textile industry.
How is wool recycled?
Making recycled wool fabric usually involves these steps:
- Collecting wool waste: Wool textile waste is sourced from production waste (pre-consumer) and discarded textiles (post-consumer).
- Sorting by recyclability, color, and type: Firstly, the recyclable wool textiles are pre-sorted from non-recyclables, then further sorted by color and type.
- Cleaning the wool: The recyclable wool is cleaned to remove dirt, grease, labels, and other contaminants, making it ready for reprocessing.
- Shredding the fibers: The wool is mechanically shredded into short fibers, breaking it down for further processing, but reducing the strength and fineness of the resulting yarn.
- Carding into open fibers: The shredded wool is carded to align and separate the fibers, creating a uniform fleece for blending and spinning.
- Blending with other fibers: Recycled wool is often blended with virgin wool or other fibers to enhance its properties. Patagonia, for example, blends most of its recycled wool with recycled polyester fibers.
- Spinning the new yarn: The fibers are now spun into new yarn, which is less fine than virgin wool yarn, limiting its use in some high-end products. The yarn can then be woven or knitted into new fabric.
What are the properties of recycled wool fabric?
Recycled wool is as warm and breathable as virgin wool, offering excellent insulation and moisture-wicking properties. Although the recycling process shortens the wool fibers and reduces strength and fineness, recycled wool remains a good choice for durable, warmth-focused applications, as these changes do not affect its insulating performance. Blending recycled wool with virgin wool or other types of fibers can improve its quality and versatility.
Certification standards for recycled wool
For recycled wool, the two key standards to look for are the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) and the Global Recycled Standard (GRS):
- RCS: Confirms recycled wool content via a chain-of-custody system but does not impose rules on waste management, chemical use, or labor conditions. Its purpose is to assure consumers that the wool product they purchase is genuinely recycled.
- GRS: Verifies recycled content while enforcing waste and chemical management, emission tracking, and fair labor requirements, making it the more comprehensive and sustainable option for recycled wool.
Is recycled wool sustainable?
Recycled wool is highly sustainable, earning the top "A" rating on the Made-By Environmental Benchmark. It lacks animal welfare assurances and offers no social benefits unless GRS-certified. Nevertheless, it remains a rare circular material with significant post-consumer content, making it a preferred choice for sustainability.
Environmental sustainability
Recycled wool is environmentally sustainable as it reduces demand for conventional wool fiber and prevents textile waste from going to landfills. By reprocessing used wool textiles and production waste, recycled wool reduces water and land use, lowers energy consumption, and lowers emissions from sheep farming and wool processing. GRS certification further strengthens the environmental profile of recycled wool through stricter waste management, chemical restrictions, and sustainability criteria.
Social sustainability
Uncertified recycled wool offers no further social sustainability benefits than regular wool. While much of it is processed in Italy, where strong labor laws protect workers, not all recycled wool comes from such regulated environments. Without certification, or with only RCS certification, there is no assurance that recycled wool meets fair labor standards or protects human rights. GRS certification enhances recycled wool’s social sustainability by addressing key labor criteria, including fair wages, safe conditions, and protections against forced or child labor, among others.
Animal welfare
Recycled wool is unsustainable in terms of animal welfare, as it lacks standards to ensure humane treatment of animals during the raw material stage, where the initial wool is produced. While some uncertified producers may follow best practices, this cannot be assumed without clear evidence. Recycled wool is also ineligible for the RWS, which ensures access to clean water, natural pasture, and prompt care, prohibits mulesing, mandates humane handling, and prevents the sale of sheep for international slaughter, among other protections. Whether the benefits of circularity outweigh these shortcomings is a topic of debate.