Do you want to move towards more responsible fashion consumption? You know that wool is a globally used material, but one that can have disastrous consequences ecologically speaking. Why not let yourself be tempted by recycled wool instead? Don’t know what it is? We’ll explain it all in this article!

What’s the difference between wool and recycled wool?

Wool is a natural animal material that comes mainly from sheep’s hair but can also come from other mammals (cashmere goats, angora goats, alpacas, llamas, vicuñas, etc.). The fur of these animals is treated and processed to create a fibre that can be used to make fabrics and textiles.

Recycled wool, on the other hand, comes from used clothing, bedding, or other recycled wool products. Because the raw material already exists, recycled wool makes it possible to reuse waste and reduce production costs while limiting waste from fabrics that have already been manufactured. As a result, recycled wool is a very environmentally friendly, anti-waste material and part of a circular economy approach.

Recycling wool is all the more important given the extent to which wool production is a polluting industry.

Wool production, a polluting process

On average, 2 million tonnes of wool are produced worldwide every year.

This production involves several stages. The stages may vary depending on the techniques used and the end products, but wool is generally produced as follows:

Wool production begins with shearing. Although shearing is important and necessary for sheep (or other mammals), some producers do not respect it and can injure the animals if they do not do it carefully. So it’s important to make sure that the wool you buy has been sheared ethically and with respect for the animals.

Then, after shearing, the wool is collected and then washed and cleaned to remove all dirt and impurities. During washing, the wool may also undergo a number of treatments, such as bleaching. After the wool has been dried, it is sorted before moving on to the carding stage: the wool fibres are untangled and aerated to make them more homogeneous and ready for spinning. The wool fibres will be spun to create wool yarns, and before or after the spinning stage, they may be dyed. Finally, depending on the finished product, the wool will be knitted or woven into garments or other woollen items.

So you can see that production alone requires a huge amount of water and energy. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop there. Breeding sheep (or other animals) has a huge ecological impact. Sheep eat a lot, and during their digestion they produce gases that release a lot of methane, contributing to the greenhouse effect and global warming.

Australia and China are the world’s biggest wool producers, while in Europe it’s the UK. Transporting the raw (and finished) material to other countries also has major ecological consequences.

The importance of recycled wool

Although recycled wool requires a few production stages, it uses less energy than virgin wool:

After the used wool has been sorted by colour, it is shredded and if we ever want to create a new colour, we either dye it or mix it. The shredded wool threads are spun into yarns that can then be woven or knitted. As long as the wool is still usable, it can be given a second or even third life. Recycled wool is also more environmentally friendly, as it has 98% less impact than new fibre, according to a study by Filature Du Parc.

If choosing non-recycled wool, the choice should at least favour GOTS Certified organic wool, to guarantee organic feeding of the sheeps, ethical shearing, and a cleaning and bleaching process with non harmful chemicals approved by the strict label GOTS.

Recycled wool retains the same properties as wool

Although recycled wool is already in use, it retains the same properties as wool. In other words, it retains its many properties:

• (Recycled) wool is best known for its thermal insulation properties, so it will keep you warm even when wet, as it is breathable and wicks away moisture.
• It will remain soft, and even softer than ‘classic’ wool, because by being processed several times, it becomes much softer, and recycled wool often no longer itches like virgin wool.
• Wool is biodegradable, durable and hard-wearing.
• Wool is also hypoallergenic and naturally antibacterial.

Recycled wool from Kalani

At Kalani, it seemed logical to opt for recycled wool for our wool throws. We have also chosen to work with a local partner located in Tuscany, Italy, where all our throws are woven and made from Italian yarns produced using local recycling from the Italian textile industry. To assure you of our commitment and our quality, our products are certified GRS (Global Recycled Standard), the equivalent of GOTS for cotton, the strictest label in the world for recycled textile products, which guarantees that our materials are truly recycled, but also respect environmental and social criteria throughout the production chain. This certification covers recycling, traceability, respect for the environment, strict limits on the dyes and washing products authorised to be healthy and environmentally friendly, and of course the social conditions of the production and processing workers.

If you want to consume responsibly, we advise you to read the labels on your products carefully, checking the composition and nature of the fibres. Also check that your products are certified, because, for recycled products, it’s the same as for organic: if it’s not certified, it’s no more recycled than organic.