Carbon in wool: a natural cycle

Here's a fact that surprises almost everyone the first time they hear it: nearly half the weight of clean wool is actually recycled atmospheric carbon. This isn't a figure of speech—it's a fascinating chemical reality that places the sheep, and thus wool itself, at the heart of the natural carbon cycle that regulates life on our planet.

The mechanism is remarkably elegant. Plants, through photosynthesis, capture carbon from the atmosphere and transform it into organic matter—this is what allows them to grow. Sheep, by eating this vegetation, ingest this organic carbon, which is then directly incorporated into the structure of their wool as they grow. The fleece that regrows each year is, in a way, a living and renewable capture of atmospheric carbon.

This natural cycle becomes particularly relevant in the context of current climate change. So-called "regenerative" agricultural practices—which increase the plant diversity of pastures and improve soil health—can even increase the amount of carbon captured and stored long-term in agricultural lands, creating a virtuous cycle between well-managed sheep farming and overall environmental health.

This understanding of the carbon cycle adds another dimension to your work as an artisan: every skein you spin or knit literally contains carbon that first traveled through the atmosphere, then a plant, then an animal, before arriving in your hands as fiber.

For Makeloo Studio, this observation strengthens our conviction that local sheep farming, well-integrated into the agricultural landscape of Lanaudière, can contribute positively to the environmental health of our region when managed with care and in close collaboration with farms that share these values.

Source: International Wool Textile Organisation, Wool Notes, Issue 3 (2024).