Your 2026 Guide to Recycled & Sustainable Yarns
So you want to try a more sustainable yarn option. Here are the yarn brands that provide recycled and/or sustainable yarn options and what to expect from these types of yarns.
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1/8/20265 min read
Lion Brand -
80% Recycled Acrylic & 20% Recycled Wool
4.5 star rating on Lion Brand website (no 1 star ratings)
Downside
Most low rated comments are mainly referring to the yarn being thinner than expected, they had an issue with it being called worsted yarn, but did say the quality is still good.
Pictures of side-by-side comparison to regular Wool-Ease shows a significant difference in size.
Positive comments love that the yarn is easy to work with, they are happy with the colors and they also love the affordability of the yarn as well. Some do mention that it is thinner than usual.
Lion Brand - Sustainable Stitching Yarns
There are multiple products under this line:
Re-Make
100% post-consumer Recycled Polyester
Overall 4.5 star rating on Lion Brand website, but fair warning there are only 14 total reviews
Lowest review was 3 stars and mainly due to slippery texture of the yarn, they did note that it did not split and was extremely soft.
Most positive reviews also mention soft quality and the lovely texture of the yarn.
Re-Spun Bonus Bundle
100% post-consumer Recycled Polyester
Received an award for Business Intelligence Sustainability Award for 2022
Overall 5 star rating, over 170 reviews on Lion Brand website
The negative comments state that scratchy yarn and easy splitting as the reason for low stars.
Positive comments do not seem to have a problem with the texture at all, most of the users made sweaters from this yarn. Many also state that the yarn is soft.
Multiple positive comments also mention affordability with relation to amount of yarn.
Re-Up
100% Recycled Polyster-Cotton blend
Overall has a 4.5 start review on the Lion Brand website
Handful of negative comments state that it tends to split and has a harsh feel to it.
Some 5 star comments also mention that yarn tends to split and that re-ordering the colors can be tricky as the recycled nature of the yarn makes it difficult to remain consistent.
Most positive comments are loving the yarn for various projects and state the yarn is soft or sturdy depending on hook/needle size.
Affordability also a plus.
Re-Tweed
40% Recycled Wool, 40% Recycled Polyester, 20% Recycled Acrylic
Overall a 4.5 star review on the Lion Brand website
Close to zero CO2 emissions
Most negatives comments are related to color issues however they do state on their website: "The unique repurposing of fibers in the manufacturing process allows for variations in each dye lot, ensuring unique projects each time."
Few comments say that it splits and separates very easily.
Positive comments note that the yarn can be a little stiff but softens up after washing. Many say that the yarn is easy to work with and they are loving the colors.
Re-Spun Thick & Quick
100% Recycled Polyester
Made from post-consumer recycled plastic
Received an award for Business Intelligence Sustainability Award for 2022
5 star review with over 170 reviews on the Lion Brand website
Negative reviews mostly surrounding the texture of the yarn, it was too rough for them, and one that stated she had to re-knot the original knots in the skein as they came apart easily.
Most reviews for this one were pretty content with the pricing. Many also stated the amount of yarn and yarn size were better than they expected. They were pleasantly surprised by the nice texture of the yarn.
They also have some lines made from naturally renewable resources like bamboo and hemp.
Truboo
100% Rayon from Bamboo
4.5 stars with over 550 reviews on the Lion Brand website
Received an award for Business Intelligence Sustainability Award for 2022
Most negative reviews are stating that it can be hard to work with as it slips easily and has a tendency to split for many who chose to crochet with it. They say some stitches split more easily than other. Lion Brand response suggests working slower and with a more blunt hook.
Positive reviews state the yarn is incredibly soft, silky and drapey. Many say that it can split but working slowly does seem to resolve most of that issue. Overall, people love the texture and say they would buy again despite the yarns tendency to split.
Cotton Hemp
70% Cotton, 30% Hemp
4 stars overall, under 40 reviews on the Lion Brand website
Like the bamboo yarn there are many negative reviews that it tends to split if you're not paying attention. Many comments mention that the yarn sheds.
Most positive comments mention that they love the texture of the yarn. Many of them are also loving the colors and call them vibrant.
Darn Good Yarn -
100% Banana Fiber from the bark of banana trees
Overall 5 star reviews, with over 140 reviews on their website
Most negative reviews are from longer ago but state the yarn was difficult to work with and one stated it had an odd smell. Many reviews also mention
Hedgehog Fibers -
Tweedy
50% Falkland Merino Wool, 37.5% Recycled Wool, 12.5% our Thread Waste
No reviews available on their website.
They accept loose thread/yarn to be used in their recycling process and even offer a discount code depending on the weight of the package. Fair warning they cannot process unspun fibre or knitted garments, you can find more information about their program here.
Wool and the Gang -
78% Kid Mohair, 13% Wool, 9% Polyamide
Overall 5 star reviews, with over 50 reviews on their website
Mohair is sourced from a producer with RMS certification (Responsible Mohair Standard) which is used to verify animal welfare and land management.
All of their wool is 100% non-mulesing, which is a practice that causes pain and distress to the sheep, they only work with suppliers who do not participate in this practice.
There are a few reviews below 3 stars, unable to see if they left an actual review or just put in the stars.
Overall the positive reviews mention that they really like the feel of the yarn, they say it's a little thicker than other mohair yarns making them great for sweaters as well.
100% Organic Cotton
No reviews on the website for this line
This is one of their Vegan Certified brands, which makes sure that there is no animal product in the yarn.
GOTS-certified, which makes sure the cotton is actually organic under the Global Organic Textile Standard.
Not seeing any reviews for this line and there are only two color options.
They do have another line called Shiny Happy Cotton which has over 200 reviews and an average of 5 stars. I don't see any reason for Big Love Cotton to be bad considering how many people like Shiny Happy Cotton, however it is worth mentioning that while it this line is Vegan it is NOT organic cotton.
97% Recycled Cashmere, 3% Recycled Wool
Overall 4 stars on the website out of only 7 reviews
GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certified 100% recycled
The only low rated comment I could see mentioned that it wasn't as soft as they were expecting it to be and gave it 2 stars.
60% Recycled Cotton, 20% Linen, 20% Tencel
No reviews available on the website
It does use recycled cotton and Tencel is sustainable fabric that is made from wood pulp using an eco-friendly, closed loop process to help minimize water waste and waste production.
Brand Abbreviation:
Darn Good Yarn - DGY
Wool and the Gang - WG
Lion Brand - LB
Hedgehog Fibers - HHF
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