Yarn Carbon Footprint

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First Journey: To The Mill

After the fleece is shorn from the sheep, it is shipped to the mill. The distance between the sheep and the mill is the first journey carbon footprint1.

Airplane

A cargo plane's carbon footprint to move 2,000 pounds of raw fleece 500 miles2 is 600 kilograms.

Diesel heavy truck (18-wheeler)

A semi truck's carbon footprint for 500 miles of travel is 400 kilograms.

A semi truck can carry 31 short tons of cargo3.

Each ton of cargo has a carbon footprint over 500 miles of 12.90 kilograms.



  1. Carbon footprint ratings are calculated based on the type of transportation and the distance traveled, using the "CO2 emissions from transport or mobile sources" calculator provided by The Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative. (Note: this source is also used by the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics Supply Chain Carbon Footprint project.)
  2. In other words, a short ton land mile.
  3. In North America, the maximum gross weight for a commercial vehicle is 80,000 pounds. Since an average semi truck weighs 18,000 pounds, it can carry 62,000 pounds of cargo (31 short tons).