Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including goats, rabbits, sheep and camels. Wool fibre has inherent sustainability attributes. It is a renewable, natural fibre that can be used as a viable alternative to synthetic fabrics.
Benefits
| MERINO | CASHMERE | MOHAIR | CAMEL | ANGORA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilder |
|||||
| Microns | 18-20 | 14-19 | 23-45 | 16-20 | 14-16 |
| Source & exclusivity | Sheep; common | Cashmere goat; common | Angora goat; common | Two-humped Bactrian camel; rare | Angora rabbit; limited producers |
| Major producers | Australia, China, New Zealand, Iran, Argentina, UK | India, Mongolia, China | South Africa, United States | Mongolia, China | China, Europe, Chile, United States |
| Fibre collection | Shearing | Combing or Shearing | Shearing (twice annually) | Combed, shorn or collected during the 6-8 weeks moulting season | Hair removed every 3 months by shearing or gentle plucking |
| Cost | Low–moderate | High–luxury fibre | High | High–luxury fibre | High–luxury fibre |
| Blends well with | Natural and synthetic fibres | Wool and nylon (for knitwear) | Wool | Cashmere, wool, nylon (to make it more economical for manufacturer to produce) | Wool (to increase warmth and enhance softness) |
| End use | Outerwear, knitwear, activewear, durable upholstery | Knitwear, babywear, blazers, coats, underwear, sleepwear, rugs, carpets | Clothing, rugs, carpets, blankets, durable upholstery | Knitwear garments, coats, suits, blazers, jackets, gloves, hats, scarves | Luxury undergarments, underwear, thermal base layers, scarves, sportswear, sweaters |
| Natural colours | White, brown, grey, charcoal, black | White, grey, brown, red, yellow, almond, apricot | Blacks, greys, silvers, reds, apricots, copper | Golden tan, red to light brown | Black, blue, chocolate, brown, greys, white, reds |
| Consumer care & washing | Hand-washable | Dry-clean | Dry-clean | Dry-clean | Hand-washable |
Potential impacts
Animal welfare
Processing
Dyeing
Consumer care/washing
End of use
Optimize sustainability benefits
| OPPORTUNITY | BENEFITS | CONSIDERATIONS |
|---|---|---|
| Know the difference between natural bamboo linen fabric, and bamboo made from a viscose process. | Bamboo viscose is chemically processed and has greater pollution impacts to water and air. | |
| Promote the use of linen from bamboo products. | Once the fibre is extracted from the stem, processing bamboo into yarn for linen is largely mechanical, with minimal environmental impact. | |
| Promote the use of ozone bleaching processes to strip out the natural beige colour of linen (from flax). Promote the particular aesthetic of ozone bleach effects. |
Ozone can used be with no water at all. | Ozone has limited availability, and is relatively expensive since it requires investment in ozone generating equipment. Ozone processes produce a different aesthetic than chlorine derivative or permanganate bleaching. |