Woolmark unveils its latest global brand campaign, Wear Wool, Not Waste, spotlighting the environmental benefits of wool - natural, renewable, biodegradable and the world’s most recycled apparel fibre. The campaign comes at a time when legislative changes are being introduced to curb the rise in throwaway fashion culture, which has been driven by cheap, synthetic clothing.
The first synthetic clothing was introduced less than 200 years ago and is predicted to account for 73% of total fibre production globally by 2030. The average polyester product is likely to survive in landfills for more than 200 years[1]. Built on this uneasy idea that every synthetic garment ever made still exists in some form, the campaign centres around a 60-second film showing people rushing to escape a zombie invasion of the old synthetic clothes that still haunt our planet to this day.
John Roberts, Managing Director of Woolmark, says “Wear Wool, Not Waste is more than a marketing campaign, it’s an urgent call to citizens and the industry at large to re-evaluate fibre choices. Merino wool is inherently natural and renewable and has the potential to be a transformational solution to fashion’s impact problem. It offers a versatile, biodegradable, recyclable, and long-lasting solution - one that aligns with nature rather than working against it.”
Wool’s Sustainable Offering
One of the campaign’s key messages is about consumer awareness. With 1 in 3 people admitting they rarely check fabric composition when purchasing online[2], Woolmark aims to educate the public on the unique benefits of wool versus fossil fuel-derived synthetics. Research shows that wool garments are three times more likely to be donated than garments made from other major fibres[3]. This impressive donation rate is further highlighted by the fact that wool, which currently represents about 1% of global virgin fibre supply, has historically achieved a donation rate of 5% [4]. This far exceeds its share in the fibre market, emphasising wools value in advancing a circular economy.
A Call for Real Change
Woolmark continues to amplify its Filter by Fabric initiative, which calls on industry to stop using misleading language on product names, instead adopting accurate fabric composition descriptions in product names and introducing fabric filters on e-commerce sites to help shoppers make more informed choices.
The Filter by Fabric initiative was launched last year and has garnered thousands of pledges, with commitments from brands such as Reformation through to Benetton, as well as industry bodies including Copenhagen Fashion Week, No More Plastic and the Plastic Soup Foundation.
This campaign aligns with Woolmark’s broader mission to position wool as a key solution to the fashion industry’s sustainability challenges - a vision encapsulated in the recently launched Woolmark+ Roadmap, a program aimed at driving the industry towards a nature-positive future.
Find out more about Woolmark’s campaign, visit www.woolmark.com/wear-wool.
To sign the pledge, visit www.filterbyfabric.com.
Join the conversation:
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#FilterByFabric
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[1] Changing Markets, 2021, Fossil Fashion: The hidden reliance of fast fashion on fossil fuels, p12-13.
[2] YouGov Plc, August 2023. Total sample size was 4297 adults in UK, US and France. Fieldwork was undertaken between 3rd - 10th August 2023. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been given an even weighting for each country to produce an 'average' value.
[3] 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
Y Chang, H. L Chen, and S Francis, Market Applications for Recycled Postconsumer Fibres Family and Consumer Science 1999. 27(3): p. 320. 16.
- D. Ward, A. D. Hewitt, and S. J. Russell, Proceedings of the ICE. Waste and Resource Management 2013. 166(1): p. 29-37. PCI Wood Mackenzie, Red Book.
[4] Y Chang, H. L Chen, and S Francis, Market Applications for Recycled Postconsumer Fibres Family and Consumer Science 1999. 27(3): p. 320. 16.
- D. Ward, A. D. Hewitt, and S. J. Russell, Proceedings of the ICE. Waste and Resource Management 2013. 166(1): p. 29-37. PCI Wood Mackenzie, Red Book.
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