The Carbon Footprint of Knitting

I set out to determine the carbon footprint of yarn. As a knitter, I go through a lot of yarn! As a resident of the planet Earth, I'm concerned about my ecological footprint. This site will detail what I have found, and point you in the direction of local yarn suppliers.

The quick answer is that the carbon footprint of wool yarn is nearly the same as the carbon footprint of acrylic yarn. Acrylic yarn is made of petroleum, but sheep contribute a surprising amount of greenhouse gases to the environment (in the form of methane).

If you want to reduce the ecological footprint of your yarn, the best way to do so is to buy it from a local source. This reduces the amount of fuel used for shipping and distributing the yarn to your location.

Better still, hunt down wool sweaters at thrift stores and reclaim the yarn for your personal use!

Check out the carbon footprint over the product life cycle of one 100-gram skein of yarn from Hypothetical Yarn Co.