At Lucid, it all started with a scientific study proving that recycled materials can truly make a difference. But since the release of our women's and men's t-shirts made from recycled cotton and polyester , no other textiles repurposing waste had yet made their way into our wardrobe.
It was while searching for the coolest material to make warm hats and sweaters that we discovered recycled wool . We were like kids on Christmas morning.
As efficient as virgin wool, self-sufficient, recyclable several times and with a reduced environmental impact of 98% , it truly deserves its title of “boss of circular fashion” (unofficial title but we'll allow ourselves to use it).
In short, we're sharing everything we've learned about recycled wool and how it will keep you warm while making a real difference 👇
If you're too lazy to read everything:
🌍 Produced from old clothes or scraps, without raising animals or dyeing them, therefore much more sustainable than virgin wool
♻️ Collected, sorted, defibrated, then transformed into yarn, it requires neither additional water nor chemicals
🌱 Reduced CO2 emissions and 99% water savings
✔️ Durable, insulating and soft, comparable to new wool (even more durable and comfortable!)
🔄 Recyclable up to 6 times, without losing its qualities, and often without recoloring required
💡 Per met a relocation of textile production to Europe and better waste management, in a circular economy
⭐ At Lucid, we chose this material to make our beanie as well as our women's and men 's sweaters.
What is recycled wool?
Recycled wool is simply wool from worn clothing or production scraps , transformed for a new use. So it's possible to give a new life to that old Christmas sweater you're a little ashamed of and that's been languishing at the bottom of your wardrobe.
In short, it means that unlike virgin wool, there's no need to raise sheep, shear them, dye their wool, etc. This results in a very (or rather, sheep-like) ecological footprint and, above all, a relocation of textile production to our countries (we'll tell you all about that later).
How is wool recycled?
Wool recycling is a mechanical process that transforms used wool textiles (“post-consumer”) or production scraps (“pre-consumer”) into fibers ready to be spun again.
As is customary at Lucid, we decided to partner with experts: Les Filatures du Parc , a French company founded in 1975 and based in Brassac (France), has developed its own recycling technology by choosing to defibrate rather than shred textiles.
Here are the main steps in their wool recycling process:
-
Collection and sorting
Woolen textiles are collected and then manually sorted by color and composition. All non-textile elements (buttons, zippers, labels) are removed. -
Defibration
Thanks to a patented pre-scouring and defibrating process, the wool is transformed into fibers without being shredded, preserving up to 95% of the original fiber length . This innovation guarantees a robust, high-quality material. -
Spinning
Once defibrated, the fibers are twisted on spinning lines to become yarns of varying counts (thicknesses). These yarns require no additional dyeing or chemical treatment, thanks to the color sorting carried out beforehand.
The yarns produced by Les Filatures du Parc are GRS (Global Recycle Standard) certified , guaranteeing the traceability of recycled materials and respect for sustainable practices.
What is the environmental impact of recycled wool?
The production process for recycled wool has a significantly lower environmental impact than that of virgin wool. Here are some key points:
- No animal farming : Unlike virgin wool, which comes from sheep raised, often in Australia or China, recycled wool uses clothing collected in Europe, eliminating the impacts associated with animal farming, such as methane emissions and soil pollution, as well as transportation. The sheep are also left alone .
- Resource reduction : Recycled wool production uses 99% less water and saves 96% energy compared to new wool production (including animal husbandry).
- Zero dyeing : The yarns are already colored thanks to the initial sorting, avoiding the use of polluting dyes.
- Less textile waste : By reusing worn clothing, this process helps to reduce the amount of textiles thrown away and incinerated each year.
It's so wonderful to think that a worn-out sweater can be completely transformed into a brand new one, all thanks to a circular economy approach (from yarn to yarn) . According to Fabrice from Filature du Parc, this would reduce the environmental impact of production by 98%.
Is recycled wool of good quality?
Thanks to innovations in defibration processes, recycled wool fibers retain their length and are therefore just as high-quality as virgin wool . And that's what's amazing: the yarns are now recognized for their scores in tests of breaking strength, elongation, abrasion resistance, pilling resistance, etc.
Among other things, recycled wool is great because
- Comfortable and flexible
- Dries quickly
- Absorbs moisture well (practical in winter)
- Retains heat
- Resilient and ready to accompany you everywhere
- Hypoallergenic (shout out for all our atopic skin types)
According to our experts at Filature du Parc, recycled wool fibers are generally stronger than virgin wool fibers. The reasoning? Natural selection occurs before recycling ; only the fibers that survived their first life remain.
How many times can wool be recycled?
Wool can be recycled many times while retaining its properties . It's estimated that it can be recycled at least six times to create equally high-performing garments. Imagine keeping a wool sweater for a good fifteen years; that's a lot of fibers that could outlast Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, and Jimi Hendrix combined.
However, after several cycles and depending on the recycling methods, the fibers can become too short. In these cases, it will be necessary to find another use that is less demanding in terms of strength (such as making insulation) , or to blend this recycled wool with other materials (such as cotton or polyester) to guarantee the durability of the yarn.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of recycled wool?
Recycled wool offers the same functional advantages as virgin wool, along with significant ecological and ethical benefits. However, the selection of fibers used has a major influence:
| Benefits | Disadvantages |
|
Ecological : 99% less water, 96% less energy and zero dyeing required. |
Limited fiber durability : Although they retain 95% of their length, after several recycling cycles the fibers can become too short, reducing their potential for garments requiring high strength. |
|
Ethics No (intensive) farming, nor animal suffering (mulesing). |
Complex and costly process : Sorting, pre-de-mailling and defibration require advanced technology, resulting in higher initial costs for manufacturers. |
| Self-sufficient : Recycled wool can be used on its own thanks to the preservation of its fiber length. This guarantees 100% recycled wool garments, without compromising on performance. | Variability in composition : The final quality of the yarn can vary depending on the garments collected, requiring rigorous selection and adjustments to ensure consistent quality. |
|
Performance : Excellent thermoregulation, antibacterial, strong, soft and flexible . |
|
| Locally sourced : Used clothing comes from European circuits, avoiding the impact of transport. |
To overcome this, at Lucid we've partnered with experts who have been perfecting their logistics and production since 1975 and select wool better than anyone else.
Conclusion
Personally, we're in love. Recycled wool represents a sustainable and innovative solution for circular fashion. It makes use of existing resources, minimizes waste, reduces the environmental impact of livestock farming, and offers performance equal to (or even better than, according to Fabrice!) virgin wool. We love it as much for being kinder to the planet as for being incredibly comfortable!
We made our CIRCL beanie as well as our NEAT women's and men's sweaters in this material which, in our humble opinion, has the potential to change the textile industry.
Sources:
- The Spinning Mills of the Park. (2024). Internal documents
- The Mechanics of the Pull. (2024). Les Filatures du Parc. Retrieved from https://www.lamecaniquedupull.com/notre-mecanique/les-filatures-du-parc/
- Ubac. (2024). All about recycled wool. Retrieved from https://ubac-store.com/blog/tout-savoir-sur-la-laine-recyclee/
- Global Recycle Standard (GRS). (2024). Standards and certifications for sustainable production. Retrieved from https://globalrecyclestandard.org
- Manteco. (n.d.). 5 reasons why wool is the circular fiber par excellence. Retrieved from https://manteco.com/5-reasons-why-wool-is-the-circular-fiber-par-excellence/
- Bianco, I., Gerboni, R., Picerno, G., & Blengini, GA (2022). Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of MWool ® Recycled Wool Fibers. Resources, 11(5), 41. https://doi.org/10.3390/resources11050041
2 comments
Superbe article, tout comme le pull d’ailleurs. Fan de cette matière ancestrale depuis toujours, je m’interrogeais toutefois quant au conditions de vie des moutons. Vos produits en laine rencontrent mes attentes en transition vers un réel développement durable.
A quand les chaussettes en laine recyclée?
Bravo…. Quel chemin parcouru… Continuons !!