SV
Back to press site

Swedish Wool Makes a Comeback – 30 Products Point the Way to a Circular Industry

2025.12.03

More than 30 products and prototypes — spanning fashion, outdoor, interior design, construction, and gardening — have been developed by partners in The Swedish Wool Initiative, a national effort built on one shared vision: no Swedish wool should go to waste.

More than 30 products and prototypes — spanning fashion, outdoor, interior design, construction, and gardening — have been developed by partners in The Swedish Wool Initiative, a national effort built on one shared vision: no Swedish wool should go to waste.

After years of being discarded as a low–value resource, Swedish wool is gaining new life as a sustainable, circular raw material – appearing in everything from tailored suits and furniture to building insulation, protective gloves, and garden pellets. Through The Swedish Wool Initiative, more than 30 products and prototypes have been developed by Swedish companies. A crucial enabler of this progress is the Swedish Wool Standard, which now makes industrial–scale trade possible. 

We’re beginning to see a breakthrough for Swedish wool at an industrial level.

– Johan Sidenmark, Project Manager within Future Materials at Axfoundation

“We’re beginning to see a breakthrough for Swedish wool at an industrial level. By bringing the entire value chain together – from sheep farmers to finished products – we’ve shown that Swedish wool can replace imported fibers in everything from fashion to construction materials. This is a step toward improved resource efficiency and a more self–reliant and circular Sweden”, says Johan Sidenmark, Project Manager within Future Materials at Axfoundation.

From Discarded Byproduct to Resource of the Future

Every year, half of all Swedish wool is thrown away despite its unique technical and environmental qualities. To reverse the trend, 20 partners have joined forces in The Swedish Wool Initiative. The result is a Swedish wool classification system, new business models, a foundation for improved logistics, and a new generation of products and prototypes where Swedish wool can replace imported fibers.

New developments include suiting fabrics made from Swedish wool by Tiger of Sweden, and knitted sweaters from Filippa K made with an innovative worsted yarn from Klippan Yllefabrik, spun from wool that previously would have been discarded. The up-and-coming Swedish Textile has also developed new fabric qualities within a fully Swedish value chain: the twill fabric Glint and the vadmal fabric Nordvad, suitable for both apparel and public interiors.

For the first time, we’ve used the Swedish Wool Standard to create fabrics entirely from Swedish wool, with true industrial potential. And it works!

– Rebecca Josefsson Ulvling, Founder of Swedish Textile

“For the first time, we’ve used the Swedish Wool Standard to create fabrics entirely from Swedish wool, with true industrial potential. And it works! This allows us to scale production and blend wool from multiple collection stations without compromising quality”, says Rebecca Josefsson Ulvling, Founder of Swedish Textile.

These fabrics are already being explored in prototypes by for example Oscar Jacobson, TINI, A Day’s March, and Wool Rebel, as well as in furniture concepts for Hotel Diplomat and beds from Wasabedden.

Innovative Construction for Emergency Shelters

The construction sector is also exploring ways to harness the potential of wool. Better Shelter is currently testing the use of locally collected wool, both loose and felted, as an insulation layer in emergency shelters. Trials have already taken place in Morocco, and further testing of a felted wool cover combined with tarpaulin will be carried out later this year in collaboration with Axfoundation at Torsåker farm.

We believe that using wool as an insulation material can improve thermal comfort in emergency settings, and thus improve the living conditions of displaced people.

– Chloé Tiziani, Design Architect at Better Shelter.

“We believe that using wool as an insulation material can improve thermal comfort in emergency settings, and thus improve the living conditions of displaced people. By providing wool directly or by sharing knowledge on how it can be sourced and applied locally, we aim to help displaced communities benefit from a material that is commonly available in many regions”, says Chloé Tiziani, Design Architect at Better Shelter.

Swedish Wool Standard — The Key to Scalability

For Swedish wool to be used industrially, buyers and sellers need a shared language. The new Swedish Wool Standard is a type-based classification system; it classifies how the fibre behaves and what it can become, not the breed. This enables buyers and producers to trade and develop products based on quality and function. The standard has already been tested across the entire value chain, from sheep to finished product.

“The Swedish Wool Standard ensures that the right wool ends up in the right product. It creates precision and opens the door to new levels of trade”, says Kia Gabrielsson Beer, one of the wool experts involved in its development.

Full List: 30+ Innovative Products and Prototypes Using Swedish Wool

Partners in The Swedish Wool Initiative have, in recent years, developed a wide range of products and prototypes across fashion and outdoor, interior design, construction, and gardening.

Yarn & Textiles

Interior

  • Knitted prototypes for acoustic absorption made from Swedish wool. Prototype: Bogil Lee and Toolspace
  • Woven and tufted rugs made from Swedish wool yarn produced by Swedish Textile. Prototype: Kasthall
  • Seat cushions made from the Nordvad vadmal fabric. Prototype: Swedish Textile
  • The Rare chair with a seat made of needle-punched felt from Nordifa, wool batt from Wålstedts, and outer upholstery fabric from VERK. Prototype: NC Nordic Care – Respect for the Raw Material
  • Armchairs upholstered in Swedish wool using the Glint fabric from Swedish Textile. Prototype: Hotel Diplomat
  • Headboard and pillow upholstered in the Glint fabric from Swedish Textile, with the frame covered in fabric from VERK. Prototype: Wasabedden

Fashion & Outdoor

Construction & Technical

  • Emergency shelters from Better Shelter featuring wool insulation, including needle-punched felt from Nordifa made with wool from Ullkontoret and materials from Tranås Skinnberedning. Prototype: Better Shelter
  • Sandwich insulation tested with strong results in the Ice Box Challenge by students at Dalarna University.
  • Heat-protective glove made with wool from Ullkontoret, manufactured using needle-punched felt from Nordifa and sewn by Fauna. Prototype and concept: Ejendals

Gardening & Outdoors

  • Wool pellets for soil improvement, made from wool that is too coarse, dirty, or matted for textile use. Product: Ullkontoret
  • Wool used as footing material in equestrian arenas. Product: Equestrian Wool Arena

Fact Box: How to Start Working With Swedish Wool

  • Guidance: Contact Arena Svensk Ull, an independent organization supporting companies in navigating the Swedish wool ecosystem.
  • Buying wool: Wool brokers operate both on Gotland (e.g., through Ullkontoret) and on the mainland (e.g., through Västkustens Ullinsamling).
  • Design and product development: A number of Swedish companies can assist with production, including Klippan Yllefabrik, TINI, Swedish Textile, Ullkontoret, Väveriet i Bollnäs, Wålstedts, and Åddebo Ull.
  • Test production: ToolSpace in Stockholm offers access to equipment such as the Kniterate knitting machine, enabling companies to test and prototype in a lab environment.

Fact Box: Swedish Wool in Numbers

  • Approximately 1,000 tons of Swedish wool are produced each year — historically, more than half has been discarded or burned. (Source: Swedish Sheep Breeders’ Association, 2020.)
  • The climate impact of Swedish wool is approximately 4–5 kg CO₂e per kg of raw wool (using economic allocation), according to the life cycle assessment conducted through The Swedish Wool Initiative. This is significantly lower than imported wool when processed within the Swedish value chain.
  • Swedish wool is biobased, recyclable, and biodegradable – unlike synthetic fibers that shed microplastics. Wool is naturally antibacterial, dirt-repellent, and flame-resistant, meaning chemicals such as PFAS or biocides are not required. Sheep grazing supports biodiversity by keeping landscapes open and contributing to carbon sequestration.
  • The Swedish wool industry is now being rebuilt: On Gotland, the full value chain from collection and scouring to spinning and weaving is now in place through Ullkontoret. Between 2026 and 2027, Swedish Textile and Holma Helsinglands plan to establish a large-scale, fully Swedish production chain in Hälsingland.

About The Swedish Wool Initiative

The Swedish Wool Initiative brings together actors across the entire value chain to transform Swedish wool from an underused byproduct into a valuable raw material. Since 2020, the project has enabled companies to access competitive Swedish wool of consistent, high quality. Over the past two years, partners have scaled up efforts to increase resource efficiency and enable circular products in construction, furniture, fashion, outdoor, and home interiors.

By establishing a functioning infrastructure, developing the national Swedish Wool Standard, and creating new circular business models, the project has laid the foundation for large–scale industrial use of Swedish wool. Together, partners along the value chain are working toward the shared vision that no Swedish wool should go to waste.

Partners include: Axfoundation, Dalarna Science Park, Arena Svensk Ull, CTH Ericson of Sweden, Filippa K, Houdini Sportswear, University of Dalarna, Dalarnas Fåravelsförening, Insjöns Väveri, Röyk, Science Park Borås, Sätergläntan, Tiger of Sweden, VERK, Väveriet i Bollnäs, Wool Rebel, Wålstedts, Ullkontoret, Swedish Textile, Åddebo Ull. The project is partly financed by Sweden’s Innovation Agency Vinnova and Region Dalarna.

Contact

Updates on Future Materials

Projects within Future Materials