From Sheep to Sweaters: Is Wool Sustainable?
Sweater weather is upon us. But before you shop for your next cozy woolen top, learn how to find sustainable wool. Unfortunately, the answer as to whether wool is sustainable is not simple….it depends. Unless you adhere to a vegan lifestyle, there is a lot to consider. Animal wool itself is sustainable because it is natural, biodegradable, renewable, and recyclable. Its sustainability is more of a question of ethical sourcing, environmental impact from raising these animals and processing of their wool fibers.
What is wool?
This seems obvious, but I think the definition of wool needs some clarification. With wool, we most likely think of sheep, but wool actually refers to the fiber that comes from a variety of animals, not just our ovine friends.
The various types of wool not only differ in quality, but also come with varying environmental impacts, and mistreatment of animals is much more rampant with some types than others.
How to find ethical, sustainable wool
The best recourse you can take to determine whether wool is sustainable and ethical is to research brands/companies. Websites should have specific information about their practices; read through them and use your best judgement. This is easier done with smaller farms and operations.
Even better are third-party certifications that require farmers to meet specific criteria regarding animal welfare, land management, and social standards. Some types of wool have their own certifications, but the best certifications for wool overall are the Responsible Wool Standard and Woolmark certifications.
Another consideration with nearly all types of wool is the environmental impact of processing. Wool contains lanolin, a waxy oil secreted by the animal’s sebaceous glands and is responsible for creating allergic reactions in people. Lanolin and other contaminants like dirt can comprise as much as 35-40% of raw wool weight and is washed from wool by a process called scouring.
Scouring can be done with hot water that melts the lanolin and removes dirt and other impurities from the wool, or chemicals can be used to achieve this. Research has shown that for every ton of wool fiber, 2.3–2.5 tons of water is consumed. When chemicals are used and discharged into effluents, this causes significant water pollution. Dyeing of wool also uses large amounts of water and chemicals.
Look for Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified wool. Products that meet this criteria must use approved chemicals with at least 75% of natural origin. Effluent wastewater must be treated.
Types of Wool
Sheep
Regular sheep’s wool is durable and has many desirable natural properties: it is antimicrobial, anti-odor, flame and water resistant. This means that chemicals to achieve these traits are not needed. The biggest overall concern with wool is animal welfare.
Domestic sheep do actually need to be sheared at least annually for their health. They do not naturally shed their winter coats, and so any subsequent growth adds to the existing fleece. This puts them at risk for overheating in the summer, creates extra weight that affects their mobility, and makes them more susceptible to parasites and disease.
Sheep do contribute to GHG production, but nowhere near cattle. A sheep can produce about 30 liters of methane per day while a dairy cow creates up to 200.
A Note on Paloma Wool
Paloma Wool is actually a brand, not a type of wool. Their website is littered with sustainable buzzwords but has no sustainability information of value. A quick glance at their products shows they use a fair amount of synthetic fibers in their clothing. good on you rates them at a 2/5, or “not good enough” on their sustainabiity scale. Skip this brand.
Alpaca
There are two species of alpaca: Huacaya, which 95% of alpaca wool comes from, and Suri. These animals are some of the oldest domesticated species in the world. 80% of alpaca wool comes from Peru.
According to the Daily Beast, “It’s not just the fiber’s high quality and earning power that the Peruvian government touts; it also has the power to help the country’s indigenous populations, many of whom suffer from poverty. At least 50,000 families in the Andean highlands rely on herding alpaca for income and to sustain themselves.”
There is less concern for animal mistreatment with alpacas than other wool animals. According to the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), most alpacas live free-range in their native habitat in the Andes Mountains. Many of the Peruvian families that care for these animals have done so for generations and have respect for this long-standing tradition.
Alpaca wool is much more sustainable alternative for cashmere as they have significantly less environmental impact than cashmere goats. It is arguably the most sustainable wool type available.
Benefits of alpaca
- Alpaca’s feet have soft pads rather than hooves, which doesn’t cause land degradation.
- Goats pull up plants by the roots when they graze, whereas alpacas only eat the leafy part of native grasses, allowing plants to regrow.
- Alpacas eat only 1-2% of their body weight each day, compared to cashmere goats 10%.
- Compared to goats, alpacas consume a small amount of water.
- Their waste can be used as fertilizer.
- Alpacas are shorn once a year just before the hot summer months, and this can yield enough wool to produce 4-5 sweaters, while a cashmere goat need 4 years to produce only 1 sweater.
- Because alpaca is naturally odor resistant and somewhat stain resistant, it does not require frequent washing. It is also resistant to wrinkling and recovers from wrinkles well, so very little ironing is required.
- Alpaca can usually be hand washed or dry cleaned, hand washing has a lower environmental impact. Alpaca is not as delicate as cashmere
Alpaca wool does not contain any lanolin or oil, making it hypoallergenic, pill less, and eliminates the need to be processed with chemicals. It is very durable, breathable, and moisture wicking.
Look for Responsible Alpaca Standard certified wool.
Angora
Angora wool comes from any of the four species of Angora rabbit. This wool has been the center of animal cruelty claims. In 2013, PETA released a graphic video of these rabbits taken from cramped, filthy cages to have their fur ripped off their body, leaving a bloody mess behind. (I’m only repeating a summary of the video, as I don’t want to watch it myself.) This resulted in many designers removing Angora from their clothing lines.
At least 90% of Angora comes from China, which lacks any animal welfare laws. It is possible to source ethical Angora, but it takes some diligence and research to find companies that source their angora wool from small farms that raise the animals in an ethical, humane manner. Because of this, it might be best to stay away from this type of wool.
Angora rabbits do rely on regular grooming and shearing to maintain their health and prevent matting of their coat. Angoras molt several times a year, and this is when the wool should be gathered. Harvesting Angora involves plucking or shearing the rabbits on Angora farms. Plucking is not what it sounds like; it is essentially combing out the loose/shedding hairs from the undercoat as the rabbit is molting. However, this is a very time consuming process so some farmers resort to shearing.
Camel hair
Camel hair is a hypoallergenic and very insulating fiber that comes from the Bactrian camel. According to Britannica:
“The hair is not usually gathered by shearing or plucking; it is most often collected as the animal sheds its coat. Both the outer coat and the undercoat are shed at the same time, and combing, frequently by machine, separates the desirable down from the coarse outer hairs.”
This process takes place each spring, which yields about five pounds of wool per camel. Because this is a natural process, the chances of animal cruelty are significantly limited, according to Sewport.
China and Mongolia are the world’s largest suppliers of camel hair. Sewport also reports that, “most of Mongolia’s camel wool is produced by breeders who have been caring for Bactrian camels for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Many of these breeders are still nomadic, and they harvest camel wool using the same methods that have been passed down from their distant ancestors.”
Cashmere
Known as a luxury fiber, cashmere comes from cashmere goats, which are not one specific breed. The traditional cashmere goat is the pashmina, but there are numerous other goat breeds that provide cashmere, and nearly all are located in China and Mongolia.
Cashmere is costly because it’s difficult to obtain—the fibers come from the goat’s soft, downy undercoat and must be combed instead of sheared. In addition, the cashmere goat produces a very scarce amount of cashmere wool per year, molting once every spring.
In Mongolia, where 40% of cashmere comes from, cashmere goats outnumber humans eight to one. The increased demand for this fabric, coupled with climate change, threatens ecosystems as more land is being degraded by grazing.
Wear cashmere responsibly by choosing products certified by the Sustainable Fibre Alliance or the Good Cashmere Standard. Or consider buying used items. Some companies are producing pieces with recycled cashmere, which can be certified by the Global Recycled Standard.
Merino
This fiber is considered by many to be the finest wool available. It comes from Merino sheep, which constitutes about half of the world’s sheep population. Merino differs from traditional wool in that it is extremely fine and soft, therefore less itchy and irritating as regular wool can be.
Unfortunately, animal mistreatment is a huge issue in this animal group.
The biggest ethical issue to watch for in merino is mulesing, which is a surgical procedure that removes a section of skin from the backside of a sheep, often without anesthesia or pain control. Then the open wound is left to heal. The purpose of this brutal procedure is to reduce the risk of a parasitic disease called myiasis, or flystrike.
New Zealand and Europe have banned this practice, but it is still legal in the US, as well as in Australia, who supplies most of the world’s wool.
Choose merino wool labeled as mulesing-free, and/or certified by the RWS or ZQ.
Mohair
About half of the world’s mohair is supplied from South African Angora goat farms. In the United States, farms in Texas are a significant supplier. The shearing process on mohair farms takes place twice a year, in the spring and fall. Note that this breed of goat does not provide Angora wool, which comes from the Angora rabbit, as described above.
But as with the Angora rabbit, there have been frequent instances of animal cruelty brought to light by PETA. Again, I’m not interested in watching, but after an investigation of 12 South African farms, a video displaying the horrific treatment of these goats was released. And like Angora, multiple retailers and designers responded by pulling this material from their products.
This luxury material is known for is softness, strength, and natural lustre. With careful research, it may be possible to find ethically sourced mohair. Look for the Responsible Mohair Standard certification logo.
Synthetic alternative
Acrylic
Due to its warmth and wool-like feel, acrylic is generally chosen as a cheap alternative for cashmere wool. Unless a sweater is made from 100% wool, it almost assuredly has acrylic blended into the material.
Acrylic is made from acrylonitrile, a chemical rated as a probable carcinogen by the EPA. Toxic fumes are emitted during its production process.
Acrylic fibers are one of the major contributors of microplastics in the marine environment. According to a study, acrylic fabrics washed in domestic washing machines released nearly 730,000 tiny synthetic particles per wash, which, via the sewage network, reached the sea, five times more than polyester–cotton blend fabric, and nearly 1.5 times as many as polyester.
One group of scientists found acrylic to be the worst fiber in terms of environmental impact and ecological sustainability.
Final Thoughts
Between animal cruelty and microplastics, it may feel impossible to find ethical, sustainable material for your next sweater or scarf. Although tricky, I do think it is feasible with some careful research and judgement on your part. Third-party certifications, while not perfect, do offer some important standards and transparency.
And as with any type of fabric, choosing those made from recycled fibers, or thrifting/purchasing any preloved items are always sustainable options. You can always forego wool in favor of a more sustainable fabric like organic cotton, hemp, or flax.
For more on purchasing sustainable clothing, click here.
