Why we Started reNEWool - our Circular Fashion Initiative

Did you know that in the past, excess wool from textile mills was given or sold to local farmers for compost because it’s rich in nitrogen? Wool was once an essential part of a natural, circular system. Unfortunately, today most textile waste is contaminated with microplastics and toxic dyes, making responsible wool recycling more important than ever.

At Woollykins, we go to great lengths to ensure that the overwhelming majority of our products are biodegradable at end-of-life. But before they reach that point, wool garments can - and should - live long, useful lives, sometimes even outlasting the wearer. With proper care, a well-made wool jumper will stand the test of time, which is why we make such a big song and dance about washing your garments correctly and mending them to extend their life.

What is Circular Fashion?

The term "circular fashion" is relatively new, but the concept is not. At its core, it’s about making the best possible use of existing resources in the fashion industry—not only to reduce waste during production but also to encourage more mindful consumption. It asks us to consider the full lifecycle of a garment and to buy less, but better.

For centuries, this was simply the way things were done. Clothing was expensive, time-consuming to make, and carried immense social value. People knew exactly what their clothes were made from and understood the labour involved in growing and processing those raw materials. As a result, garments were cared for, mended and repurposed rather than discarded.

Shoddy: About the origins of Textile Recycling in 1800s Britain

A perfect example of this is the Shoddy industry of Yorkshire, which emerged in the early 19th century. Textile waste—worn-out wool garments, scraps, and rags—was collected, sorted, and processed into new yarn. This recycled wool, known as "shoddy", was blended with virgin wool to create a more affordable fabric. The entire system depended on waste having value, and the local "Rag and Bone Man" would pay for old clothing before selling it to textile mills for reprocessing. It was an early circular economy—one we would do well to learn from today. (I recently found out that my Great Uncle Bill was a Rag Man in Australia during the 1940s amongst other things like Wool Classer, Sock Maker and Sock Dyer!)

The recent resurgence of mending and slow fashion comes from a desire to conserve resources, protect the environment, and push back against the burden of textile waste. Movements like Fibershed (which began in California and has since grown globally) advocate for a return to regional, regenerative fiber systems—where textiles are produced, used, and recycled locally, reducing waste and strengthening communities.

The reNEWool initiative was born out of this same philosophy. Over the years, we noticed that wool clothing was rarely making it onto charity shop shelves. Many wool garments that weren’t in "as new" condition were simply discarded. Because wool is natural and full of nutrients, it’s particularly attractive to insects, which means second-hand wool pieces often need mending. Charity shops, already overwhelmed with the sheer volume of low quality fast fashion, don’t always have the time or resources to handle damaged wool clothing—so it gets thrown away.

Sorting Wool Clothing for Recycling. Stepping into the shoes of my Great Uncle Bill, a Rag Man.

For years, I’ve been collecting imperfect wool garments from charity shops, first using them for children’s toys, and later—as Woollykins grew—repurposing them into mending kits and salvaged fabric. Then I came across a couple of Woollykins garments among those discarded piles—shrunk or moth-eaten, but still valuable. That’s when we realised we needed to take further steps to keep our high-quality Woollykins garments in circulation.

Through reNEWool, we aim to give every wool garment the longest possible life—whether through providing appropriate Wool Care Laundry products, instructions on caring for wool, deterring clothes moths or through resale of preloved, mended, or repurposed garments —before safely returning it to the earth. Because true sustainability isn't just about how something is made; it’s about how we use and care for it long after the purchase.

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Further reading

• Endocrine Disruptors in Synthetic Clothing: The Fibershed blog post "Who Grew Our Clothes?" explores how synthetic fabrics expose wearers to endocrine-disrupting chemicals that is seriously affecting our health. ​Fibershed
• Fibershed Movement: The book "Fibershed: Growing a Movement of Farmers, Fashion Activists, and Makers for a New Textile Economy" by Rebecca Burgess discusses sustainable textile production and its role in fostering local economies - It is so interesting and important! ​BUY Fibershedfrom Abundance Farman Australian Small Business with THE BEST book collection! https://www.abundancefarm.com.au/products/fibershed-rebecca-burgess
• History of Shoddy: Hanna Rose Shell's book "Shoddy: From Devil's Dust to the Renaissance of Rags" delves into the history and cultural significance of recycled textiles and is a totally fascinating read. ​BUY Shoddyfrom Booktopia here
• 'The Land of 'Dead White Man's Clothes' explores how the influx of low-quality, discarded garments is devastating Ghana's coastlines, economy, and cultural identity, shedding light on the broader implications of textile waste on indigenous communities globally. Read the article:https://fashiontalk.substack.com/p/the-land-of-dead-white-mans-clothes

These resources offer in-depth information on the environmental and social impacts of textile waste, the health implications of synthetic fabrics, and the historical and contemporary movements toward sustainable fashion.