“The Pokari Project” aims to restore wool’s value. It is an interdisciplinary group mainly based in Greece, consisting of artisans, livestock farmers, and scientists. At the Pokari Project, we believe that any kind of wool is valuable if used wisely. It is a natural product with multiple traits. It has thermoregulating, sound-, wind- and to some extent flame- and waterproofing properties.
Furthermore, it is a skin-friendly and biodegradable material. It has been used traditionally until nowadays in construction, for textiles, as fillings for bedding and mattresses, and also in farming as a fertilizer.
Moreover, lanoline, also known as wool wax, is a common ingredient used by the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry. The innovation of cheaper synthetic and oil-based fibre gradually replaced the natural fibre of wool. Thus, the wool industry collapsed broadly not only in Greece but to a great extent globally, and wool is now mostly considered a waste of livestock farming.
The Pokari Project seeks to restore the value of Greek wool by creating a sustainable yarn that supports the primary sector, contributes to the reduction of waste, and conserves cultural heritage and indigenous sheep breeds.