Sustainable Organic Sorbents from Recycled and Waste Wool

Project period

1.5.2026 - 30.4.2029

Project funding

Interreg Central Baltic 2021-2027

As a result of climate change, there is an urgent need to find new materials and solutions in line with the circular economy. Natural resources are being over-consumed and biodiversity is declining. The depletion of resources and rising prices have shown the effects that poor and variable availability of raw materials has on both consumers and businesses.

The importance of substitute materials and material cycles is increasing and the necessity of the circular economy is becoming more concrete. In addition to new business models, new materials and new technology will play a key role in the circular economy of the future. (Sitra 2020)

Waste also creates ever-increasing environmental challenges. In Finland alone, 1.4 kilograms of waste are produced per person every day, and according to Sitra's Megatrends 2020 publication, the amount of waste is still growing. New materials that replace fossil raw materials and products developed from biomaterials can promote the circular economy and resource sufficiency, while also reducing the amount of waste. Different materials and applications must be discovered and developed without prejudice in all areas of society and business.

This project focuses on the reuse of recycled and waste fibers, especially sheep wool, through design solutions.

The countries of the Baltic Sea region share a strong commitment to sustainability and face common environmental challenges, concerning the generation of waste wool and oil spill response in a sensitive and shared marine ecosystem. A key cross-border challenge lies in developing sustainable oil spill recovery solutions based on organic sorbents, mainly recycled and waste wool. Although the potential of wool as an effective sorbent material has been demonstrated, its practical application remains limited due to the absence of established supply chains and scalable production systems. Currently, oil spill recovery primarily relies on plastic-based sorbents, which are single-use and generate large amounts of oily waste. Wool offers a more sustainable and potentially more efficient alternative.

Supply chains and service models differ significantly between countries. Variations in fibre sourcing, recycling practices, logistics systems, and stakeholder environments mean that service models effective in one national context may not be directly transferable to another. This highlights the need for tailored, regionally adapted solutions developed through cross-border collaboration.

This project addresses these challenges by developing locally adapted yet interoperable service and logistics models for Estonia, Finland, and other countries in the Baltic Sea region. In Estonia, the focus is on leveraging material expertise and advancing wool processing technologies. In Finland, the emphasis is placed on service model design, systemic design approaches, and specialised knowledge in oil spill response and sorbent product development.
Together, these two service models contribute to a substantial reduction in wool waste, reinforce the principles of the circular bioeconomy, and offer scalable and sustainable alternatives to conventional plastic-based oil sorbents. Although the developed products are primarily intended for oil spill response, which occurs only in larger emergencies, each product is simultaneously designed with hybrid-use applications in mind. These alternative uses in non-emergency contexts support waste reduction, strengthen regional resilience, and enable more versatile stockpiling and resource preparedness.
The project will deliver two distinct service models tailored for Sustainable Organic Sorbents: one based on discarded raw wool (waste wool) and the other on recycled (end-of-life and sidestream) wool textiles. These models will enable the efficient use of wool waste streams, reduce environmental impact and decrease reliance on plastic-based oil sorbents. The models are being developed in collaboration with stakeholders from various parts of the value chains.

Result 1: Service Model for Sustainable Organic Sorbents from Discarded Raw Wool

This model covers the entire production cycle from collecting discarded raw wool, currently wasted at a high rate in Estonia (up to 90%) and Finland (over 50%), to manufacturing oil sorbent products. The project develops pre-treatment methods tailored to raw wool, including washing, as well as material processing, product prototyping, and real-world testing in collaboration with stakeholders across the supply and logistics chains. The result is a scalable production system that reduces wool waste and substitutes plastic sorbents with bio-based alternatives.

Result 2: Service Model for Organic Oil Sorbents Made from Recycled Wool Textiles

This service model focuses on transforming end-of-life and sidestream wool textiles into organic oil sorbent products, addressing the current lack of systematic recycling practices for wool-based materials. The model is co-developed with textile recycling, manufacturing and logistics stakeholders in Finland and Estonia, applying service design and systems thinking to optimise collection processes, material production and production chains, logistics, and product usability.

Distinct value chains are essential, as the actors involved in the early stages differ significantly between discarded raw wool and recycled as well as sidestream wool textiles. These materials originate from different sources and geographical locations, necessitating tailored logistics solutions. The manufacturing processes also diverge; raw wool requires specific pre-treatment steps such as washing, whereas recycled wool textiles follow alternative processing pathways. By developing two complementary yet separate service models, the project ensures that both waste streams are effectively utilised and integrated into sustainable, circular business practices.