Wool recycling is a hot topic at companies like Smartwool and icebreaker.
Americans alone toss out up to 11.3 million tons of textile waste annually. That’s around 2,150 pieces of clothing per second—which clogs waterways, leaches toxins, and harms marine life at breakneck speed.
Trendy, cheap clothes cycle in and out of closets, and many only last a few wears before being discarded.
Consumers, however, are beginning to take notice. Growing awareness of the environmental cost of fashion prompts them to demand change. In fact, 71% of modern shoppers today say they would pay a premium for sustainable fashion.
Despite this rising demand, progress remains slow. According to Kearney’s 2024 Circular Fashion Index, only 25 out of 235 brands have begun responding to these consumer calls for sustainability.
Merino wool outdoor apparel brands like Smartwool and icebreaker are pooling their resources to take on this challenge. Once competitors, the sister companies now under the VF Corporation umbrella now create a circular ecosystem for merino wool that extends its life cycle and reduces waste.
Smartwool’s Second Cut™ Project, for example, collected over one million old socks for recycling, while icebreaker is working toward a 100% plastic-free supply chain by 2028. In an industry built on fast turnover, can these circular brands finally break the cycle?
The textile industry runs on a linear model—produce, sell, discard. Smartwool flips that script with its Second Cut™ Project in 2021 by tackling waste on two fronts: resale and recycling.
In partnership with online consignment and thrift store thredUP, the Second Cut™ Resale Program incentivizes customers to buy and sell pre-owned Smartwool gear. Smartwool also offers free mail-in recycling kits and retailer drop-offs to collect, sort, shred, and repurpose used items into Second Cut™ wool blends for future apparel.
This taps into the 29% of Gen Z and millennials purchasing at least half of their clothes secondhand. As thredUP CEO James Reinhart pointed out, “Smartwool apparel is quality-made and built to last, and it comes as no surprise that the brand performs incredibly well in the secondhand market.”
Another recognition further validates that Smartwool’s efforts are on the right track. The Second Cut™ Hike Sock—the first product made from repurposed yarn through the program—won the ISPO Award 2023.
The ISPO Award Jury recognized it as “an ambitious, innovative project” and a crucial step toward bridging the sustainability gap in outdoor apparel.
Since 2021, Smartwool has diverted over 1.07 million socks—roughly 86,500 pounds of textile waste—from landfills. Looking ahead, the brand is setting more ambitious goals. They plan to achieve 100% climate-positive wool, 100% regenerative materials, and 100% circular products by 2023.
The take-back loop is only the beginning. True sustainability requires continuous transparency, accountability, and measurable progress—principles that icebreaker embraces in its pursuit of a 100% plastic-free product line.
The company set an ambitious target to go 100% plastic-free by 2023 but only hit 96.14% as of 2024. Rather than sugarcoating the shortfall, they proudly celebrated their near-victory as a sign of progress, not failure.
73% of global consumers expect brands to be transparent about their environmental impact. While they don’t expect perfection, they do want to see real, measurable progress.
In icebreaker’s 2023 Transparency Report, they highlight their ongoing efforts to phase out the remaining synthetics with natural fibers and bio-based alternatives. And icebreaker’s commitment to circularity doesn’t stop at the product level. It’s ingrained throughout their supply chain. They know where every piece of wool comes from—down to the individual farms and growers—with 100% traceability.
Icebreaker has forged long-term partnerships with its growers through 10-year supply contracts. Many of these growers are part of the ZQRX program, a certification that upholds strict environmental care, animal welfare, and social responsibility standards.
For 37% of Gen Z and 36% of millennials, sustainability certifications are the key touchpoint in evaluating a brand’s environmental efforts. The clearer the traceability, the more confident they feel in their choices.
Sustainability efforts often carry an altruistic narrative—something brands tout as their commitment to the planet. Smartwool and icebreaker set the example for what’s possible.
They reinvent their entire lifecycle with take-back programs, responsible sourcing, and investment in natural, bio-based materials. For these outdoor apparel brands, sustainability doesn’t have to be at odds with performance.
Yet sustainable initiatives are a long-term investment that doesn’t happen overnight. They require a hefty investment in technology and infrastructure. They may also involve convincing the boardroom to jump on board and finding partners who are as committed.
The road ahead is lined with tough conversations, long-term strategies, and significant financial backing. But as the shift to circularity continues, the question is no longer whether the fashion industry can afford to embrace sustainability—it’s whether it can afford not to.
