Cleaning harbours with discarded wool
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Macro Fibers
In Swedish harbours, a quiet problem is developing beneath the water. Oil films and heavy metals do not remain on the surface. They spread through the whole body of water, reaching the seabed where kelp forests grow, and young fish take shelter. These pollutants disrupt the delicate chemical signals that marine life depends on, affecting everything from how shellfish form their shells to how algae carry out photosynthesis.
Macro Fibres, a master's thesis project by Sebastian Fältström in collaboration with wool experts and marine ecologists, shows how biological materials can tackle biological problems by using Sweden's discarded wool to protect marine ecosystems.
Every year, the Swedish meat industry discards around 1,000 tonnes of wool. Meanwhile, harbours struggle with oil pollution that ordinary synthetic barriers cannot fully address. Wool has a remarkable natural structure. Its wavy fibres and overlapping scales create tiny spaces that trap oil, allowing the wool to absorb up to 30 times its own weight.
This is not just absorption. Wool works as evolution intended. Its structure naturally repels water while attracting oils, the same properties that kept sheep dry in Nordic winters. By harnessing this capability, Macro Fibres turns an agricultural byproduct into an active tool for cleaning marine environments.
The design also draws inspiration from how ocean species communicate danger. Nudibranchs, the striking sea slugs found in rockpools and kelp beds, use vivid warning colours to signal toxicity. Their patterns are survival tools that other species instinctively recognise.
Macro Fibres adopts this visual approach. Bold, contrasting colours mark contaminated zones, helping fish, crustaceans, and other creatures avoid areas during active cleaning. The surface design goes further. Scale-like structures across the fibres increase the area available for absorption, mimicking microscopic structures on a scale suitable for harbour conditions.
This approach is particularly compelling because it is circular. Synthetic absorbents eventually break down into microplastics. Macro Fibres can be cleaned and reused many times, extending their lifespan and avoiding single-use waste. When the wool reaches the end of its usefulness, it biodegrades completely.
At Dulcie, much of our work focuses on recognising the intelligence already present in natural systems, whether in seaweed's mineral-rich compounds or the regenerative ability of coastal environments. Macro Fibres applies the same principle to materials often overlooked, such as discarded wool.
Solutions do not always require creating entirely new materials. Sometimes they come from looking at what is already available, including agricultural byproducts, natural fibres, and local resources, and understanding how their inherent properties can meet current environmental needs.
This project shows that protecting marine ecosystems can rely on materials that already fit within natural cycles. It is a reminder that the most effective environmental solutions often come from working with the patterns nature has established, rather than imposing synthetic systems onto living environments.
References: Sebastian Fältström
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