10181065WOOL to TURFClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKEvery year in the UK, sheep farmers shear millions of sheep, producing high-quality wool for textiles but also large amounts of low-grade wool with seemingly no use. This includes "dag wool," contaminated with dirt and waste, and very short fibres that cannot be spun into yarn. Around 4,000 tonnes of this material is produced annually, most of it with little or no value. Farmers often burn, compost, or send it to landfill, which costs money and wastes a natural resource. Meanwhile, the horticultural and conservation sectors rely heavily on wildflower meadow turf mats, to create colourful meadows in gardens, parks, and green infrastructure projects as part of Sustainable Drainage Systems and projects achieving Biodiversity Net Gain. These mats need a strong backbone to hold them together during growing, transport, and laying. Unfortunately, most mats today use plastic or bio-plastic meshes that remain in the soil for decades, harming the environment and undermining the sustainability goals these meadows are meant to support. Our project brings these two challenges together with a single solution: using waste wool to make sustainable turf mats. Wool is naturally strong, biodegradable, and abundant in the UK. By reforming dag wool and short fibres into mats, we can provide the strength needed for up to 24 months, long enough for meadow plants to establish and for turf to be transported, before the wool naturally breaks down, enriching the soil instead of polluting it with microplastics. This innovation has the potential to turn waste into value. For farmers, it creates a new market for wool that is currently discarded, offering extra income and reducing disposal costs. For horticulture, it provides a home-grown, plastic-free alternative to imported jute or coir mats, cutting carbon emissions from long supply chains. For the environment, it means healthier soils, less plastic pollution, and more resilient green spaces. The project will deliver three key outcomes: 1. Mapping UK dag wool production to understand availability and distribution. 2. Building a new supply chain and business model that connects wool farmers directly with UK turf matting manufacturers. 3. Developing purpose-built processing methods to create strong, compostable fibres with durability equal to or better than current plastic alternatives. By turning a waste problem into a sustainable product, this project supports farmers, strengthens local industries creating local jobs, and helps create greener, healthier landscapes across the UK.