• #sustainablepackaging
  • #woola

Woola

Woola OÜ

  • #sustainablepackaging
  • #woola

2024

PRIZE

  • Regen Prize
  • Social and Soft
  • wrap us in wool
  • Waste As A Resource Prize
  • #sustainablepackaging
  • #woola
Contents

Video

Description

We use waste wool to replace plastic bubble wrap.

Story

Plastic packaging has two major problems: fossil fuel reliance and a single-use mindset. Woola’s co-founders Anna-Liisa Palatu and Jevgeni Širai were running an online e-commerce store when they experienced the packaging problem first-hand.

It was around this time that Anna-Liisa read an article by Katrin Kabun, a textile designer and sheep wool expert. The piece touted the durability, versatility, and overabundant supply of wool – about 200,000 tons of coarse wool goes unused in the EU every year.

Not much later, the three co-founders started Woola to reduce the demand for single-use plastic bubble wrap by offering a better alternative – protective packaging made out of leftover wool.

Today, premium e-commerce and luxury retailers use Woola packaging to protect fragile products during shipping and deliver a message of sustainability with the parcel. Some of Woola's customers include BioGaia, Mademoiselle bio and two houses of the LVMH Group.

As of October 2024, Woola has sold more than 1 million pieces of wool packaging, replacing about 140,000 square metres of plastic bubble wrap.

Link

Images

Judge’s Comments

Cecilia Tham

Co-founder and CEO at Futurity Systems

Regen Prize

This project shows an innovative approach to addressing both wool waste and plastic pollution as well as using wool’s natural properties, such as elasticity and cushioning, and it is a compelling alternative to traditional plastic bubble wrap.

However, it’s important to note that there are already many existing alternatives to plastic bubble wrap in the market. Differentiating your solution in terms of cost, performance, and environmental benefits will be critical to standing out. Additionally, the added weight of wool packaging could increase logistics emissions, which may impact its overall environmental footprint. Supply and demand viability might also pose challenges, particularly given the seasonal and geographic limitations of wool availability.

Despite these considerations, Woola's commitment to ethical sourcing, fair labor practices, and circular economy principles is admirable. These points have the potential to make a meaningful impact by addressing plastic waste while supporting underutilized resources and local communities.

Anni Korkman

Programme Director of Luovi Productions, Helsinki Design Week

Social and Soft

Woola is a strong, design-driven initiative which meets the for People, Profit and Planet criteria perfectly. Especially the social aspect seems strong in terms of fair salaries, diversity and ethics policies as well as employee stock options. I think Woola could be interesting to follow in terms of seeing how the operations could scale internationally. For example, would it be possible to establish subcontracting chains elsewhere and expand the operations to other locations?

Sachiko Hirosue

Osaka Namari-Suzu Seirensho Co., Ltd. President and CEO

wrap us in wool

Reducing the world's bubble wrap in half by 2030 is an achievable goal. Recyclable, with raw materials available, now is the time for this product to be known. It is impressive to have fair trade and fair work condition practices declared and transparent in the beginning. I can imagine sheep farmers from around the world being happy.

Gwyneth Jong

Co-founder of FabCafe Kuala Lumpur

Waste As A Resource Prize

By repurposing a byproduct, Woola not only reduces waste but also replaces harmful plastic with a biodegradable, renewable material. This solution aligns perfectly with the principles of the circular economy, turning excess materials into valuable resources. It's exciting to see how industries like wool production can contribute to reducing environmental impact while providing functional alternatives for packaging. This project exemplifies creativity in sustainability and offers a promising model for other industries to follow in adopting circular practices.

Winners

Special Prize Winners