Is wool a renewable resource?
What is a renewable resource?
A renewable resource is something that can replenish itself once it has been used, either through a natural process such as the water cycle, or an activity such as farming. Renewable resources give us the ability to be self-sustaining, meaning we can continue to cater for our needs by using and reusing these materials or elements.
Is wool renewable?
Yes, it is one of the only natural fibers that is renewable. Every year, sheep are sheared during the warmer months to give us wool for use as textiles, producing items like clothing and bedding. The sheep then proceed to grow a new fleece to protect them the following winter. This is cyclical making it a fully sustainable, natural process requiring only sunshine, rain and grass.
So, it’s renewable, but is wool biodegradable?
Does renewable always equal biodegradable? Not necessarily.
A material can only be called biodegradable if it has the right chemical structure to allow it to break down easily or at the very least under certain conditions. Just because a material can be called renewable doesn’t mean it will also decompose easily.
But in the case of wool, it will – it has an amazing ability to biodegrade. Wool can decompose into soil in a matter of months, releasing nutrients back into the earth. That’s why we can call wool renewable and biodegradable. In fact, it’s one of nature’s only truly sustainable textiles.
For sustainable bedding, choose wool
If you’re on the lookout for environmentally friendly comforters, our sustainable wool bedding is the perfect choice thanks to its natural eco-credentials. Not only do we use naturally replenished materials and no water-polluting chemicals during the production of our environmentally friendly wool comforters, but many years down the line, when they reach the end of their useful life, you can simply compost them.
Within 6-12 months they will be fully decomposed into nitrogen-rich compost for you to put on your roses. How’s that for biodegradable bedding?
On the other hand, fibers such as polyester, nylon and acrylic are manmade and mostly derived from petrochemicals. As a comparator they will take over 150 years to decompose, and even then won’t have completely disappeared.
So, if you’re looking for sustainable bedding and wondering, is wool a renewable resource? And is wool biodegradable? Wonder no more. Wool is both of these things making for some of the most environmentally friendly bedding on the market.
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