Discarded Wool Absorbents Target Harbour Pollution

Swedish designer Sebastian Fältström has developed Macro Fibers, a reusable system that removes oil and heavy metals from small boat harbours. The project uses discarded Swedish wool as a biodegradable alternative to common plastic absorbents.

Turning Waste Wool Into A Cleaning Material

Companies often use fossil-based plastic products to clean up oil spills. Afterwards, they usually burn these polluted materials. As a result, the process creates more waste and emissions.

Macro Fibers offers a different approach. The system uses wool that the Swedish meat industry would otherwise discard. According to the designer, wool can absorb more than 30 times its own weight in oil and heavy metals. Therefore, it could serve as an effective material for cleaning polluted water.

The large absorbents hang vertically in the water. Consequently, they can collect pollution at several depths, rather than only at the surface. Designers can also adjust their size to match the depth and conditions of each harbour.

Studying Wool At Fibre Level

Fältström worked with Swedish wool experts and the Swedish School of Textiles at the University of Borås. Together, they studied several types of wool and fibre structures.

During laboratory tests, microscopic images showed how oil interacts with the wool. They also revealed how the fibres trap oil in the spaces between them. These results then guided the design of the full-scale absorbents. In particular, Fältström arranged the wool to create a larger active surface. This structure aims to improve its performance while allowing repeated use.

Learning From Marine Animals

Macro Fibers also responds to the harbour as a shared habitat. For this reason, Fältström worked with marine ecologists to explore how the product could signal its presence to underwater animals.

The colours and patterns take inspiration from nudibranchs. These marine animals use bright colours to warn predators about danger or toxicity. Similarly, Macro Fibers uses strong patterns to show that clean-up work is taking place. The pattern therefore supports the product’s environmental role instead of acting only as decoration.

A Structure Designed To Capture Oil

The product’s form also supports the absorption process. A buoy made from beeswax and wool keeps the absorbent upright in the harbour. Its sinkhole-inspired openings guide oil from the water’s surface into the structure, where the wool fibres trap it. Scale-like surfaces cover both the inside and outside. As a result, they increase the total absorption area and allow more of the wool to come into contact with polluted water.

Real-World Testing In Gothenburg

Macro Fibers brings together material research, textile craft, industrial design and marine ecology. In doing so, the project turns an overlooked local waste stream into a possible form of environmental infrastructure.

The project has received an Ung Svensk Form 2026 award and an iF Student Design Award. Fältström also received the Bernadotte Scholarship for his work.

In autumn 2026, the designer plans to test Macro Fibers at Frihamnen harbour in Gothenburg. The tests will show how well the system works under real conditions. Afterwards, the results could support further development and wider use in other harbours. Ultimately, the project aims to provide a local and circular alternative to plastic-based clean-up products.

Source & images: Sebastian Fältström