We just CAN NOT, or in fact WILL NOT, stop wanging on about wool and why we love it.
Wool is one of the oldest fabrics known to man, with its use dating back to the stone age. Unlike the stone age though, it feels like every day we are reminded of the impact our choices as a species have made on the planet. We find ourselves overly reliant on plastic, a material that is slowly killing our planet, infiltrating our food, our wildlife, even the cells that make us! This is made more alarming when you think that plastic was only introduced in 1907 and Nylon into the fabrics market in 1935!
It has become clear that something that was introduced to do good has actually upset the careful natural balance that our planet relies on. Not to mention the problem of safe disposal of plastic and its offshoots - huge landfills full of a material that won’t break down for thousands of years, oceans full of man made waste...
So where does wool come in? People always focus on the perceived negatives of wool (like how you wash it, but really, once you know how - it really isn’t that much of a faff!) however the green credentials of wool are often overlooked.
First up in wool’s list of eco-credentials are how hard wearing it is. This means clothing made from wool are made to last. Treat it right and it will last well over 30 years!
Next is the fact wool clothing is naturally odour and stain resistant, meaning less washing is required. A bonus if you are time poor and saves those precious resources.
As wool is also biodegradable, it means that when your clothing does reach the end of it’s life, it can be composted or will rot away and leave no trace of ever existing.
The lifecycle of wool also makes it a great, sustainable choice. Sheep farming can support conservation and biodiversity with the sheep wool being a natural renewable fibre. With the right regenerative farming and feed management, sheep are also having a positive impact in relation to reducing carbon and methane gas emissions.
Ultimately, choosing wool based products - both clothing and for interior furnishing or the garden, assists the biodiversity of our planet. Eduardo Galeano said “Many small people, in small places, doing small things can change the world.” He was spot on - if everyone were to choose wool it would make a significant difference in the fight against the climate crisis and in assisting the planet rebalance the damage humans have already caused.