The Ultimate Guide to Organic Wool
This blog post was originally written for I’mdividual, a London-based sustainable designer label. It has been adapted and re-published with permission from the client. Follow I’mdividual here.
Wool is undoubtedly one of the most versatile fabrics; from cosy knitwear and luxury tailoring to carpets and upholstery, this natural fibre is world-renowned for its quality. Unfortunately, not all wool is created equal. Here, arm yourself with the tools for a sustainable wardrobe by exploring everything you need to know about organic wool.
Is wool ethical?
While wool is not considered vegan or 100% cruelty-free due to being sourced from animals (although unlike fur, sheep are not killed for their wool), wool is generally seen as a sustainable fabric choice because in contrast to synthetic fibres, it is completely recyclable and biodegradable and even helps absorb carbon from the atmosphere. Not to mention its high performance, making it the ideal choice for long-lasting, luxurious products that are unlikely to fall apart like ‘disposable’ fast fashion.
However, there is a huge problem with wool production that the fashion industry rarely talks about - chemicals. Traditional farms treat their animals with antibiotics and wormers, and the sheep consume feed and graze land that is treated with pesticides, insecticides and fungicides. Many of these thousands of toxic chemicals are classified as hazardous by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and impact upon soil quality, biodiversity and even human health.
Non-organic wool production also has negative impacts upon animal welfare. Over 1 billion sheep are used for their wool in the fashion industry alone, and sadly, many of these beautiful creatures are not leaping around and grazing freely in lush meadows, but instead being confined in small spaces, overfed by force, filled with antibiotics, roughly sheared and even violently mistreated, according to PETA.
Luckily, it’s not just cotton that can be organic - wool can be certified for its organic properties too. So, let’s dive into all things organic wool, including its surprising benefits to people, animals and the planet, plus how to incorporate the sustainable fabric into your own wardrobe.
What is organic wool?
Organic wool, certified by GOTS or OEKO-Tex, is the ethical and sustainable alternative to traditional wool production. It has three major benefits - for the environment, for animal welfare and for human health and wellbeing.
Firstly, the use of chemicals is carefully restricted both in the agricultural stage and in the fibre processing stage, which means that all textiles must meet strict requirements for environmental safety. This limits toxic residues running off into water systems, and helps protect soil health. Plus, with organic wool, sheep are fed mainly through grazing, which helps fertilise the land and encourage biodiversity, while the remainder of their diet is 100% organic feed.
When it comes to our four-legged friends, fortunately organic wool also helps support better animal welfare standards. Organic certifications ensure that sheep reared for their wool must be allowed to roam and graze freely with plenty of outdoor space in their natural habitat; much more humane conditions than exploitative factory farms. Wellbeing is the number one priority for organic sheep farmers, with food, shelter and transport all considered carefully to minimise stress and discomfort. Additionally, diseases are treated with a preventative approach, avoiding excessive routine treatment with antibiotics and pesticides.
Last but not least, organic wool is claimed to be better for human health. Because of the restrictions on chemical use, organic clothing avoids the toxic residues of traditional fabric production that can cause allergies, rashes, carcinogenic effects, respiratory problems and even nervous system damage. Without a doubt, organic wool is a smarter choice choice for people, animals, and for the planet.
Where to buy organic wool clothing
Unfortunately, fashionable products made from organic wool are few and far between. A quick google will show you that the market is largely dominated by babywear, although there are a handful of ethical fashion brands designing knitwear made from organic fibres. Organic cotton is a buzzword everywhere you look in the sustainable space, but it seems like organic wool is yet to have it’s turn in the fashion limelight. If sourcing wool from organic-certified farms is your priority (and ethical fashion is all about setting our own priorities), take a little look at the brands below:
I’mdividual London (organic wool trousers currently in stock, £230)
Thought Clothing (various organic wool knitwear designs available in the end-of-season sale)
People Tree (I love this sweater vest in 100% organic merino wool, on sale for £49)
Is organic enough?
Now, with all of this in mind, plus everything we know about organic cotton, does that mean that choosing organic materials is the sustainable fashion solution? Ah, it’s never that simple, is it?
One of the major problems is that organic farming simply doesn’t produce high enough yields to be able to compete with cotton and wool produced via conventional agriculture, in addition to being more expensive for both the supplier and the shopper. Therefore, organic cotton only accounts for 0.7% of all the world’s cotton production, and organic wool is just 1%, so the potential positive impact of organic farming will always be limited. In addition to this lack of popularity, the lower yields in organic farming mean that more land is put to work, which could lead to the possibility of increased deforestation and habitat destruction.
Ultimately, fashion will not recover from decades of greed and destruction by switching to slightly less greedy destructive materials. The composition of clothing is a vital area for making more conscious choices, as designers and as citizens, but consumption is the route of the problem. Producing and consuming billions of items of clothing per year will never be sustainable, whether those clothes are made from organic fabric or not.