On its 60th anniversary, Woolmark launches its own recycled wool products. | kbnmart

On its 60th anniversary, The Woolmark Company is introducing a new specification for recycled wool, the first time the mark has been applied to recycled fibres.

It joins the wider Woolmark certification programme which has three main logos: Woolmark (100% pure new wool), Woolmark Blend (50%-99.9% new wool) and Wool Blend (30%-49.9% new wool).

The certification programme, run globally by The Woolmark Company, is the gold standard for wool quality, and the launch of the recycled wool sub-brand under the new RW-1 specification “represents an important step towards a more sustainable textile industry,” the company said.

“Wool is the world’s most recycled clothing fibre,” said John Roberts, managing director of the company. “Our new recycled wool brand supports the shift from a linear to a circular production model, reducing waste and pollution.”

The new specifications ensure that products contain at least 20% recycled wool, while meeting the quality standards of the Woolmark Certification Scheme.

Products can contain recycled wool from pre-consumer sources, such as textile waste, and post-consumer sources, such as clothing, certified by standards such as the Global Recycling Standard (GRS) and the Recycling Claim Standard (RCS).

“Wool represents only 1% of the apparel fibre market,” Roberts added. “Creating a sub-brand to promote the reuse and repurposing of this wonderful fibre will help drive wool’s use in new categories and keep this rare fibre in circulation for longer.”

The Woolmark logo was launched in 1964 and has since certified over five billion wools and wool care products.