Sheep Wool Valorisation as Soil Enhancers
This value chain valorises livestock by-products, specifically sheep/lamb wool, into fertiliser and soil-enhancer pellets for agricultural use.
Pilot 1 in Crete includes a livestock by-product value chain focused on the circular use of sheep/lamb wool. Instead of treating wool as an unmanaged waste stream, the material is collected and processed into pellets through mechanical methods.
These pellets are intended to act as fertiliser and soil-improvement products. The process includes preparation of the wool, pellet production, disinfection testing, assessment of pellet properties and field testing in agricultural applications. The objective is to reduce sheep wool waste while creating a practical circular product for local farming.
The value chain targets the reduction of generated sheep wool waste and the improvement of soil quality.
The available TEB draft indicates a target reduction of total generated sheep wool waste from 2250 tons to 1125 tons in the short term and 550 tons in the mid-long term. It also links the activity to improved soil nutrients and moisture, with indicative targets of 20% in the short term and 35% in the mid-long term.