Patagonia, a US based outdoor brand has recently launched a new fleece which is a blend of micro-polyester and recycled wool from the Prato region of Italy. Patagonia has labelled its ‘woolyester’ garment as the ‘evolution of fleece’.
The idea to use recycled wool came to light when Patagonia decided not to use the virgin wool in 2015 over the concerns about animal welfare and land management. The business has since developed the Patagonia Wool Standard, which goes above and beyond the requirements of the Responsible Wool Standard.
The recycled wool is being produced in the Prato region of Italy by the company’s partner ‘Calamai family’. They collect unwanted sweaters, blankets, and fabric scraps from around the world and send them to Prato where the scrap is sorted, shredded, and bundled into towering monochromic bales.
Sarah Hayes, Senior Material Innovation and Research Manager, Patagonia said, “It is astonishing when you go to the Calamai’s facility and see these giant warehouses stacked with discarded clothes. A staggering number of the abandoned garments are in like-new condition. Most of them come from the US.”
It is worth mentioning that Woolyester’s fall 2018 line alone will divert roughly 60,000 pounds of clothing from landfills.
The production of Woolyester Fleece uses 23 per cent of less water than its synthetic counterparts and emits 37 per cent of less carbon. In addition to this, it also eliminates the need for dye, the usage of toxic chemicals and water waste that often comes with it. The color experts at the Calamai can create any hue without using pigment. They pluck a variety of colors from the spectrum of fibre bales, then run them through a rigorous mechanical blending process to render an entirely new shade.
Patagonia Inc. is an American clothing company founded in 1973 by Yvon Chouinard that markets and sells sustainable outdoor apparel.
