Regenerative British Wool
Context
Wool is a beautiful natural fibre with a wide range of uses. How this fibre can be revalued and recognised for its benefits to people, animals, and the planet has been the focus of a collaboration between Pilio, Rose Dale’s Organic Farm, and Dash & Miller.
The Fashion Challenge
The apparel sector accounts for over one gigaton of GHG emissions. A large proportion of the fashion industry’s emissions come from the farm level, with 39% of apparel emissions associated with raw material extraction and processing (WRI, 2021). This has created the impetus for fashion companies to mitigate their climate impact by developing a roadmap to achieve net zero, in tandem with protecting biodiversity, water and soil.
To be effective, companies need to understand their areas of impact, identify the opportunities and barriers to change within their supply chain, and know how to create a business case to drive investment in the transition to a sustainable fashion system. Gathering this momentum, Pilio has been working with disrupters to ignite change and showcase what is possible in the creation of regenerative fibres.
Innovation Journey
Pilio has been working to highlight natural fibres as exciting materials for the fashion industry, specifically focusing on regenerative British wool. We aim to demonstrate the environmental, economic, social, and cultural opportunities presented by wool fibre production. We see an immense opportunity for fashion to work with fibre producers at the farm level and to reconnect the full supply chain.
Farm to Product:
A showcase of fabric from farm to home/
Rose Dale’s Organic Farm
Rose is an organic and Pasture for Life certified sheep farmer. Working together, we conducted a full ecological and carbon baseline for the farm to help her prioritise improvement that can be tracked over time.
The Natural Fibre Company
The wool was processed and spun at a mill which has achieved Carbon Reduction accreditation and is involved in a number of circularity innovation projects.
Bristol Weaving Mill, Dash & Miller
Pilio worked with Dash & Miller and Bristol Weaving Mill to understand the mill’s carbon footprint and create a sustainability policy. The wool was woven into beautiful keepsake blankets and fabric. FibreTrace traceability technology was used for the first time from farm through to the final product.
W.T. Johnson & Sons
The fabric was finished at a facility known for its craftsmanship in worsted fibres.
Pilio
To generate demand for wool in fashion, Pilio is developing a fibre brand as a showcase for what a sustainable fashion sourcing and production model can look like.
Revitalising British Wool
Revitalising British wool requires partnership and investment in skills and practices throughout the full supply system. In strengthening resilience through these systems, we reinforce the positive impacts wool can deliver to nature, climate and livelihoods.