Wool is something of a super material as it is used in such a wide range of different products and items, the types of wool produced by sheep vary widely as British Wool invites people to meet our sheep breeds to gain a deeper understanding of the different types of wool and what it’s used for. There are a lot of interesting uses of wool that aren’t just limited to clothing and cloth products, however, and may even be useful for your own needs too.
A unique packaging material
One of the more unique features of wool is that it is a very breathable material that absorbs and releases moisture extremely well – it helps the animals regulate their heat on the hottest days of the year and stay warm on the coolest with all sorts of weather. For these properties, it can create a great eco-friendly solution for packaging goods like food and sensitivity pharmacology products that require a more stable environment.
This is still something of a niche use, but this innovative type of packaging first researched in Bangor University in Wales could be a great solution to cut down on the need to use refrigerated transport for example, and could find much wider use in the future.
Mulch
Those who spend a lot of time in the garden will be all too aware of how good wool can be as a mulch product – used as pads that have been designed to mulch your garden, wool will help to suppress the growth of weeds whilst also regulating moisture and temperature of the soil and as a naturally biodegradable product, it will slowly degrade over time and release the nutrients back into the soil where it’s placed. Wool has been used for mulch for quite some time but is still something of a hidden secret to some, so be sure to try it out in the garden.
A natural fire-resistant material
One of the more well-known features of wool is that it’s naturally fire-resistant requiring extremely high temperatures to ignite, but unlike synthetic materials, the wool won’t melt and therefore won’t stick to the skin when it burns – for this reason, it’s used widely around the world in clothing used by firefighters as a liner – even with today’s modern materials, there’s nothing better than some wool to line this essential PPE. With its anti-microbial benefits and its breathability, it’ll remain a long-standing choice too.
Wool is a fantastic material and these are just a few of the many interesting uses for wool, given it’s 100% sustainable and renewable too, these uses will continue to be a sustainable option in the future too.