Traceability of Wool

What is Traceability?

Traceability means that not only is there an identifiable trail, audited by an independent body, to show where a product comes from, but also what it is made from. Increasingly, this is an issue that matters to many consumers around the world.

In the case of wool, and particularly wool bedding, how can the consumer be confident in the traceability of that product? In the UK, British Wool are responsible for the collection, grading and selling of British wool on behalf of their producers, British farmers.  Wool that has been through their system is quality assured by grade, so products bearing the British Wool Crook Mark logo are products that the consumer can trust.

Products bearing the British Wool Crook Mark logo are products that the consumer can trust

All manufacturers of wool bedding can apply to use the logo if the wool is genuinely British. However, they must undergo a series of strict monitoring processes, including the checking of wool that they use in their products. They must be able to demonstrate that the wool can be traced back to the British farms and the sheep where the wool comes from. These needs to be supported by a full audit of paperwork, showing the trail of checks to prove traceability.