Is Merino Wool Sustainable? Merino Wool Sustainability Guide

Read on to find out if Merino wool is truly sustainable and animal-free. Additionally, we’ll provide you with buying advice for Merino wool-based products.

The truth is that if you wear clothing made of Merino wool, you likely support environmental preservation. The eco-movement is linked to outdoor enthusiasts, and several Merino companies have donated millions of dollars to environmental causes.

But, is merino wool sustainable? Merino wool is generally considered sustainable. It is made from the thick, renewable fleece of Merino sheep. Merino wool can be washed infrequently, which conserves water and energy. Pure Merino wool is completely biodegradable when it is no longer needed. The wool industry does, however, have some moral issues.

Even the topic of what Merino lovers can do to be more sustainable will be covered.

Is Merino Wool Sustainable?

Merino wool is 100% biodegradable and eco-friendly in nature. Wool does not add to the pollution caused by microplastics because it is a naturally obtained material that is not chemically processed.

It is also acknowledged as the most recycled and reused fiber in the world. Because Merino wool is a hardy fiber, clothing made from its fleece is known to have a long lifespan. Furthermore, they don’t need to be washed as frequently, which reduces water waste. The scars aren’t completely gone, though!

Merino sheep are multiplied due to the rising demand for Merino wool, which is unnatural for our planet and has an adverse effect on the environment. Soil erosion is the main environmental problem caused by Merino wool production.

Merino sheep can damage nearby vegetation and soil, leaving behind large tracts of arid land, if they do not have access to extensive pastures to graze on. By simply breeding Merino sheep with sustainable practices, it is simple to prevent this potential environmental harm.

Below is the sustainability of other fabric fibers:

• Is Modal Fabric Sustainable?
• Is Viscose a Sustainable Fabric?
• Is Lyocell Sustainable?

Impact on Animals

Although Merino wool fabrics and clothing have many advantages, it is important to consider the ethical issues surrounding their use.

Despite strict industry standards for Merino sheep, only 20% of farmers in Australia, the world’s largest supplier of wool, treat their animals humanely.

Because they are bred to have wrinkled skin, Merinos produce more wool per animal. Many sheep succumb to heat exhaustion and even pass away during the hot months due to this unnatural overabundance of wool, and the wrinkles also tend to retain moisture, especially under the tail.

Attracted to the moisture, flies lay eggs in the folds of skin, and the hatched maggots can eat the sheep alive, a condition known as “flystrike”.’

In order to prevent flies from laying eggs, many Australian farmers perform a procedure called “mulesing” which is the removal of the wooly skin near the buttocks of a sheep, often without any painkillers.

Because the procedure causes the sheep excruciating pain, there is rising public pressure for the industry to adopt alternative fly control methods.

Impact on Land

Resource-intensive sheep farming consumes a lot of resources. To make room for grazing, land is cleared and trees are felled, which increases soil salinity, causes erosion, and reduces biodiversity.

Overgrazing, compaction, and erosion have caused about 20% of pastureland to be deemed degraded globally. Fortunately, there are more effective, holistic approaches to managing land and livestock that support ongoing land regeneration, animal health and welfare, and economic viability.

Is Merino Wool Cruelty-Free?

However, Merino wool is not completely free of cruelty. While many certified breeders raise their flocks of Merino sheep in accordance with moral and cruelty-free standards and collect the wool without using painful or stressful methods, this may not be the case for the majority of other Merino breeders.

Shearers frequently work quickly without giving any thought to the welfare of the animals because they are paid by the amount of fleece collected rather than by the hour. When sheep try to avoid being shorn, they frequently kick, punch, and abuse them wildly in other ways.

Painful procedures like ‘mulesing’ (cutting out a large chunk of skin from the sheep’s buttock area), ‘castration’, and ‘tail docking’ (chopping off a lamb’s tail) without providing any pain relief to the sheep are also quite common. Merino wool is harshly condemned by PETA and has been dubbed incredibly cruel for a long time.

Tips on Buying Merino Wool Fabrics More Sustainably

Verify relevant environmental and original certifications before making a Merino wool purchase to ensure sustainability.

• Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS): a system of certification that is acknowledged throughout the world and confirms that a minimum standard for organic content has been met. Manufacturing, packaging, labeling, transportation, and distribution are all covered. However, the grasslands where sheep are raised are not.
• The Responsible Wool Standard (RWS): a comprehensive wool certification that guarantees that all production facilities and procedures use Merino sheep and are upheld to the highest standards. It covers all parties involved, including farms, top producers, spinners, fabric mills, apparel manufacturers, and even the retailers themselves.
• Woolmark Certification: Merino wool products with the Woolmark certification were created without the use of animal testing or fur.
• ZQ Merino: From farm to fashion, this certification program focuses on the ethics, sustainability, and quality of Merino wool. They have five core principles they abide by in each step of the wool process: Animal Welfare, Environmental Sustainability, Quality Fiber, Traceable to Source, and Social Responsibility
• Recycled Claim Standard (RCS): The Textile Exchange RCS was initially developed as a global, voluntary standard that establishes criteria for third-party certification of recycled input and chain of custody. (For recycled Merino wool fabrics)
• The Global Recycled Standard (GRS): The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) is a global, voluntary standard for full products that establishes criteria for a chain of custody, social and environmental practices, chemical limitations, third-party certification of recycled content, and other factors. Any product with more than 20% recycled material can use it. (For recycled Merino wool fabrics)

Some certifications are signaling brands’ efforts toward lowered environmental impacts and a circular economy are:

• B Corp Certification: For-profit organizations can use the certification known as B Corp. A certified holder’s social and environmental impacts are evaluated.
• Cradle2Cradle certification: A standardized method for dealing with material circularity is offered by Cradle2Cradle. It examines five crucial areas—material health, material reuse, renewable energy and carbon management, water stewardship, and social fairness—to determine whether products have been appropriately designed and manufactured with the circular economy in mind.

Conclusion: the Sustainability of Merino Wool

Despite having a much murkier ethical side, Merino wool fabrics are generally regarded as sustainable. This renewable, biodegradable material has a low environmental impact due to its odor- and breathability.

Additionally, controlled grazing, attention to the welfare of the animals, and reduced reliance on fossil fuels are all factors in the ethical and sustainable production of Merino wool.

Look for standards and certifications, such as the Responsible Wool Standard and ZQ Merino Standard, when purchasing Merino wool to ensure the ethical treatment of animals and the preservation of the environment.

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