Last Updated on December 28, 2023
Wool is an amazing, insulting material and more brands are now offering recycled wool clothing, which can be both a great sustainable option and a compromise for those concerned about the ethics of wool.
What is Recycled Wool?
Recycled wool comes from 2 sources; pre-consumer which is wool that is salvaged waste from the manufacturing process and post-consumer which is recycled from wool garments and products.
Typically recycled wool, especially post-consumer, has shorter fibres and needs to be blended with some other fibres or virgin fibres to achieve durability and comparable quality. This is common with almost any recycled natural fibre so you will rarely see 100% recycled natural fibre content.
Is Recycled Wool Sustainable?
Yes! By using waste and existing resources it saves a lot of the energy and pollution which would be required to produce those virgin materials. It also reduces the amount of waste going to the landfill by giving these fibres new life.
Is Recycled Wool Vegan?
Technically no. However this is a grey area for some vegans and ultimately depends on your personal values. Recycled wool (as long as it’s not blended with virgin wool) can be a good way to get the benefits of wool fibres without directly supporting wool farming. There are conversations that can be had around how much or little it may indirectly support wool farming so it is ultimately a very personal decision.
My view on wool is I won’t buy most wool, but I do support regenerative and animal welfare focused fibre farming. I think wool has some incredible properties, especially for winter clothing, and recycled wool can be a good compromise.
If you’d like to learn more about the ethics and sustainability of wool, check out this post about more ethical wool options.
(please note: some affiliate links are used in this post which means we may get a small commission)
Organic Basics
Sustainable staple brand Organic Basics has a collection of both sweaters and winter accessories made from recycled wool – including recycled merino and recycled cashmere (due to their high demand, both tend to have more issues with intensive farming).
They are all classic, timeless pieces that can easily be wardrobe staples so investing in some more luxurious fibres like cashmere seems more worth it and by opting for recycled you can avoid some of the ethical issues.
Styles: Women, Men
Size Range: XS – XL
Values: Sustainable Materials, Recycled Materials, Transparency, Carbon Neutral Shipping, B Corp
Based In: Denmark, ships international
Anian
Anian is a Canadian company making classic wool shirts, jackets and “shakets” from post-consumer wool. Their garments all have that timeless, Pacific Northwest style and are great long-lasting investment pieces.
Styles: Women, Men, Unisex
Size Range: XS – XXL
Values: Sustainable Materials, Recycled Materials, Made in Canada
Based In: Canada, ships international
Dedicated
Dedicated is a sustainable streetwear brand with a new collections of timeless sweaters, coats, and winter accessories made from from GRS certified post-consumer recycled wool. Dedicated has good factory transparency and many sustainability and responsible manufacturing certifications.
Styles: Women, Men
Size Range: XS – XL
Values: Sustainable Materials, Recycled Materials, Factory Transparency,
Based In: Sweden, ships international
Colorful Standard
Focusing on recycled merino wool Colorful Standard has a collection of sweaters and accessories in a wide variety of colours. They use 100% recycled merino wool which is certified by Global Recycled Standard (GRS).
Styles: Women, Men
Size Range: XS – XL
Values: Sustainable Materials, Recycled Materials, Factory Transparency, Seasonless Collections, Low Waste Production
Based In: Denmark, ships international with many international webshops
Toad&Co
Toad&Co has some wool pieces in their recycled collection, many blended with other recycled fibres as well. They have a variety of styles including jackets, shirts, vests, sweaters, cardigans and even sweater a skirt made with recycled wool.
Styles: Women, Men
Size Range: XS – XL
Values: Sustainable Materials, Recycled Materials
Based In: USA, ships to US and Canada
Frank And Oak
Frank And Oak has a small collection of recycled wool coats although they don’t have much information about where the wool comes from other than it’s “recycled textile waste” – so not sure if it is pre or post consumer wool.
I have been looking for a long wool coat for ages secondhand and finally decided to go with Frank And Oak’s plaid Laurence Coat. It’s honestly beautiful and I really appreciate the added insulation for our cold Canadian winters.
Styles: Women, Men
Size Range: XS – XL
Values: Sustainable Materials, Recycled Materials, B Corp
Based In: Canada, ships to Canada and US
Patagonia
A staple brand for outdoor, active and everyday casual-wear. Patagonia uses a variety of sustainable materials and is looking to further expand their use of recycled wool. They also have a great take-back/upcycling program where you can purchase secondhand and upcycled garments.
Styles: Women, Men
Size Range: XS – XL
Values: Sustainable Materials, Recycled Materials, Fair Trade Certified (some factories), Take Back Recycling Program, Gives Back
Based In: USA, ships international (also has international retailers)
Want to learn more about the types of wool and the environmental and ethical impacts of it? Read more here.
Or check out our sustainable sweater roundup.
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