Could waste wool become a new tool for oil spill recovery? / Kotka Test Day – September 2026

On 16-17 September, SOSREW team had the chance to test whether sheep wool, which often goes unused, could help clean up oil spills. The tests were carried out at Xamk’s Oil Spill Response Testing Facility in Sunila, Kotka.

From Recycled and Waste Wool to Oil Spill Recovery

Our project team carried out hands-on tests to find out whether wool that often goes unused could be turned into an effective oil spill recovery material.

Based on our first tests, sheep wool can absorb large amounts of oil. Raw and fiberized wool performed particularly well with hydraulic oil and renewable diesel, sometimes absorbing even more than ordinary polypropylene. The results are clearly influenced by both the raw material and the way the wool has been processed.

The tests confirmed that waste wool can offer a promising raw material for more sustainable oil absorbent products. We will continue developing the products, and in the future we will also need further testing with different oil types, larger samples representing the full range of wool qualities, and reuse cycles. These will help determine how the materials would perform in real-world oil spill response situations.

The hands-on testing deepened participants’ understanding, as they were able to observe and evaluate the materials’ performance themselves. Testing will continue in the future with more oil types, larger samples and reuse trials.

In addition, during the meeting we had the opportunity to discuss the next steps of the project with all project partners and to spend two wonderful days in Kotka.

You can find more pictures of the test day here.