MWool

Pure MWool fabrics / Source: Manteco

BreathableCompostableElasticEuropeFire-ResistantHypoallergenicMWoolOdour ResistantRecyclableRecycledRegenerativeTextilesUV-ResistantWool

WHAT WE SAY:

Circularity doesn't get much more efficient than taking a natural and renewable fibre and creating a system through which it can be used again and again. That’s exactly what Manteco has done with its MWool regenerated fibre.

A naturally biodegradable substance, with no residual toxins if treated right, wool can be returned to the earth after use - but why waste a perfectly durable fibre when it still has life left in it? MWool ensures this animal-based material gets a second chance thanks to an efficient, transparent local supply chain of post and pre-consumer waste, which is transformed back into yarn using a centuries-old process. Made entirely in Italy, and tracked from beginning to end, MWool stands for everything PlasticFree is looking for: natural, reusable, waste free, and nutrient rich.

MWool

WHAT IS MWOOL?

MWool is a line of recycled Wool fibre from Italian textile company Manteco. Designed for use by the textiles and fashion industries, it is made using a wet, mechanical recycling process that turns industrial waste, pre-consumer scraps, and post-consumer garments into recycled wool fibres.
The fibre is used to create much of Manteco's fabric offering, including its Pure line (100% MWool fabrics), its Woolten line (MWool and Tencel fabrics), its Mackinaw line (a washed and fluffy MWool fabric), and its Bi Careful line (MWool and alpaca fabrics).
MWool is created within 10 miles of Manteco's Italian headquarters. The company works with over 50 partners who source the waste materials - which likely travel from further afield - and transform them into new yarns and fibres.
Manteco doesn’t use any dyes to colour MWool. Because the wool has already been dyed for its original use, Manteco simply blends and matches different fibres to create over 1,000 shades of MWool. The company calls this its Recype Process, and has created a database to ensure the colour matching is consistent.
MWool undergoes the same testing as virgin wool to ensure a premium product that matches customer's expectations. Like all wool, MWool is breathable, hypoallergenic, elastic, and water and fire resistant. A natural fibre, it's renewable, biodegradable, and home compostable when not chemically treated.
While wool is said to take between three months to two years to decompose - slowly releasing nitrogen and nutrients into the soil - 100% MWool fabrics have been shown to decompose in 140 days. MWool can also be recycled again, prolonging the lifespan of the resource.
Manteco claims that creating MWool has saved 3,151,724 wool garments from landfill. The brand's public LCA, which was published on MDPI as a scientific article, states that MWool uses 99.9% less water than virgin wool, and 93.93% less total energy consumption.
The company says that in 2022, this saving equated to 1.19 billion kilograms of CO2, and 219 million metres squared of water. In context, that's the emissions generated by 4,018 Boeing 737s, and the water used to fill 8,760 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Manteco makes more than eight million metres of wool per year. While a sizeable amount, it's a small portion of the global wool production industry which raised 1.266 billion sheep for wool in 2022, equating to 12.66 billion metres of wool per year.

KEY PROPERTIES:

Breathable
Compostable
Elastic
Fire-Resistant
Hypoallergenic
Odour Resistant
Recyclable
Recycled
Regenerative
UV-Resistant

INDUSTRY:

Textiles

AVAILABILITY:

Commercially Available

DIVE DEEPER:

While wool is a renewable and biodegradable natural fibre, it is also heavily resource dependent. According to Manteco’s LCA on MWool, which was independently performed and scientifically backed, virgin wool produces 10 to 103 kilograms of CO2e for every kilogram created, depending on sheep rearing methods. On the other hand, MWool produces 0.1 to 0.9 kilograms of CO2e for every kilogram of material produced.
Wool's animal-based origins are also shining a spotlight on virgin wool. While many wool providers follow the 'Five Freedoms' that form the basis of animal welfare - freedom from hunger, malnutrition and thirst; freedom from fear and distress; freedom from physical and thermal discomfort; freedom from pain, injury and disease; and freedom to express normal patterns of behaviour - the industrialised nature of wool production means concerns remain around how animals are treated for a fashion fibre, especially in regards to mulesing, and consumers are taking note.
Given wool's durable nature, reusing this ancient, regenerative, and versatile fibre makes sense, and Manteco proves it's possible. The Prato textile district where Manteco is headquartered sources used garments from all over the world. The area handles 15% of clothing recycling globally, and this regional knowhow helps the company ensure it creates high-quality recycled fibres without the waste.
Many brands are opting for the zero waste and circular benefits of MWool already, proving its business case. Among them are Reformation, KITH and BMW, and IKKS Paris, while Kate Middleton sported an MWool coat by LK Bennett in 2022.
These high profile customers flock to Manteco not just for its premium recycled wool, but also because it’s part of the Better Cotton Initiative, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and the Monitor for Circular Fashion.
Dedicated to traceability and transparency, Manteco has released a detailed sustainability report every year since 2016, covering areas like material usage, water usage, animal welfare, soil use, emissions, and more. It has also invested in its MTrace software, which allows it to digitally track every step of the production process of MWool, producing integrated data management opportunities and reports that are shared with customers.
In recognition of its commitment to sustainable practices, Manteco won the Radical Green Award in 2018, and has even started its own sustainability award for students, which pairs well with its school for sustainable design, Manteco Academy.
As well as wool-based fibres, Manteco offers a range of Cotton-based, jersey, Linen, and Viscose fabrics, making it a one-stop shop for fashion brands looking to invest in circular, traceable, and recycled natural materials.

Recycled wool fibres / Source: Manteco

Through its Recype process, Manteco has developed over 1,000 MWool colours / Source: Manteco

KEY FACTS:

140 days

100% MWool fabrics have been shown to decompose in 140 days

3+ millon

wool garments have been saved from landfill, according to Manteco

99.9%

MWool uses 99.9% less water than virgin wool, and 93.3% less total energy consumption

Key Questions to Ask:

Do you need proprietary colours?

Manteco’s Recype Process produces over 1,000 colours of recycled MWool, offering brands a plethora of tonal choices for collections. Despite this, many brands look for proprietary colours to set them apart from the competition. If you're looking for a unique tone, ask yourself: does the benefit of a personalised hue really outweigh the environmental benefits of using recycled and circular textiles? And if you deem it does, how will your consumer react to that messaging?

Can you launch a tandem takeback program?

MWool can be recycled again and again, and brands looking to use it should aim for recyclable designs, not just recycled. Implementing a takeback program, so that previously used MWool attire can be sent back to Manteco and remade into new fibres, would ensure further circularity. While 100% wool-based items would theoretically break down in the natural environment, keeping the resource in use as long as possible should be the priority.

What are you pairing MWool with?

Any brand using MWool shouldn't stop there. For a truly circular design, MWool must be paired with equally plastic-free and toxin-free trims, threads, linings, closures, and so on, prioritising materials that will also break down in nature and can be easily removed and reused. Threads are a particular problem area, as most on the market feature a nylon core. Could you move away from threads entirely, creating a modular garment that uses metal fastenings instead?