Carbon Storage

Wool forms a part of the natural carbon cycle. By storing the carbon from the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO₂), wool prevents the gas from contributing to climate change for the time the garment is in use. All this CO₂ is removed from the atmosphere for the fibre's life - from when it is used by the grass during growth, to when it is converted into wool on the sheep, through the wool product's use phase - until it is disposed of and biodegrades. For many wool garments, this period greatly extended because wool is used or recycled in a variety of textiles.

But carbon is
still an issue

We know that carbon emissions on farms is still an issue. However, when managed well, wool-growing businesses can emit very small amounts of carbon dioxide and sequester large amounts of carbon. A recent pilot study estimated that, on average, wool-growing farms were sequestering more CO₂ than they were emitting by capturing and storing a net 1539 tCO_2e per year.

Meet wool-growing families who demonstrate how living on the land can, in fact, improve the environment here.

World's most recycled fibre

Wool garments are 300% more likely to be donated compared to garments of other major fibre types. It is the only fibre to have a well-established and commercially viable recycle pathway.

Russell, S., Swan, P., Trebowicz, M., Ireland, A. (2016). Review of Wool Recycling and Reuse. In: Fangueiro, R., Rana, S. (eds) Natural Fibres: Advances in Science and Technology Towards Industrial Applications. RILEM Bookseries, vol 12. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-7515-1_33

No microplastic
pollution

Wool biodegrades readily on land and in water. Wool does not contribute to microplastic pollution. Synthetic fibres, including recycled polyester, shed microplastics which can harm ocean life.

AgResearch, Microfibre Pollution and the Marine Biodegradation of Wool. 2020.

Supports
biodiversity

Sheep are key to good soil health. Including animals in farming systems and implementing rotational grazing techniques ensures that grass is trimmed regularly, allowing it to regrow, store more carbon in its roots and support biodiversity in and above the soil. Synthetic fibres are produced through mining and oil extraction. The production of plastic-based fibres for textiles uses around 350 million barrels of oil each year.

Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2017) A new textiles economy: Redesigning fashion's future, p38

Sheep first

The Woolmark Company and Australian woolgrowers work to uphold the health and wellbeing of Australian sheep, ensuring they are cared for in a way that meets the Five Domains of Animal Welfare. Industry players are encouraged to employ innovative, sustainable farming practices founded on intuitive wisdom of generations of woolgrowers.

For people, planet
and prosperity

Through best-practice sustainable farming, Australian woolgrowers are able to protect and regenerate the land, care for the health and happiness of their sheep and prosper as family-run businesses, for this generation and the generations to come. Many remote, rural and regional communities continue to be supported by Australian wool-growing, with more than 60,000 Australian woolgrowers and many tens of thousands more working in the industry.

Meet the people behind Australia's wool industry, here.