The last active French wool scouring unit was inaugurated in Spring 2018 hoping to perpetuate a wool industry entirely Made in France.
If wool used to be an additional source of income for French breeders, over the past few decades it has lost its value. This also brought down the industrial activities of washing, spinning or weaving, which are now only very rarely practised in France. Some actors are struggling to keep this sector alive, such as the Lavage du Gévaudan, now the last active wool scouring unit in France. A real paradox in a country with a livestock of more than 6 million animals producing wools that can offer various qualities.
Lavage du Gévaudan was born from a collaboration between the Ateliers de la Bruyère, specialized in the wool-felt transformation, and Laurent Laine, producer of wool bedding. The scouring unit was inaugurated in spring 2018. In order to preserve the quality of the raw wool and the environment, only neutral and biodegradable soap is used to scour.
Lavage du Gévaudan is part of the TRICOLOR project presented at the Made in France Première Vision exhibition.
