Wool

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

WOOL TYPES AND CHARACTERISTICS

	MERINO	CASHMERE	MOHAIR	CAMEL	ANGORA
Pictures	picture comming	picture comming	picture comming	picture comming	picture comming
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

Cultivation/Animal welfare

Wool from sheep

Merino sheep have been specially bred to produce more volume of higher quality wool than other breeds. This is enabled by their convoluted skin, which provides a greater surface area on which more fibre can be grown. But some reports indicate that the increased weight of wool can strain the sheep and lead to heat stroke, dehydration and even death. In addition, urine and moisture tend to build up in the wrinkles of the skin, attracting flies, particularly the blowfly, and maggots around the sheep’s rump. A compensation procedure known as mulesing involves carving skin from the back legs of the sheep to make the area smoother and less prone to flies.

Mulesing has been a hotly debated subject amongst activist groups and the textile industry as a whole. Activist reports note significant cruelty to animals during this procedure, whereas advocates describe mulesing as "a very cost-effective and simple way" to protect against flystrike, says Wool Producers Australia president Geoff Power. There have been brand boycotts and country-wide phase-out plans of mulesing, but some farmers in Australia report mulesing to still be the most cost-effective approach.2

Alternatives to mulesing to prevent flystrike include spray-on chemicals. These chemicals can be harmful to humans if the proper protective equipment is not worn, and can contaminate receiving water bodies if not disposed of properly.3

All breeds of sheep are treated with pesticides (organophosphates and pyrethroids) to control lice and parasites. These chemicals may be applied directly to the fleece or by submerging the sheep into chemical solution pools (sheep dips).

Repeated exposures to organophosphate pesticides are linked to severe nerve damage in humans, and when poorly managed, these chemical agents may contaminate regional water systems. Pyrethroids in particular are extremely toxic to aquatic life.

Besides these fibre-specific impacts, intensive sheep ranching has contributed to land degradation in some regions.

Cashmere from goats

Although a profitable source of income for farmers, the impact of overgrazing of cashmere goats has reportedly contributed to land degradation and desertification, and as a result loss of biodiversity in Mongolia and other countries. This is because goats are insatiable eaters compared to other livestock, and consume the root of the grass, thereby stopping it from growing altogether. To accommodate the growing cashmere industry, and the resulting drop in cashmere prices, farmers increase the size of their herds to compensate, therefore increasing the impact on land. 4

There is little reliable information supporting animal cruelty to cashmere goats. However, due to increased consumer demand for cashmere, overall consumer demand for inexpensive products, increase in herd size, and lack of standards regulating proper treatment of animals in cashmere-producing countries, relationships with producers should be closely monitored to ensure friendly practices are being implemented.

Angora wool from rabbits

Animal cruelty to Angora rabbits in China has been recently publicized. Typically, angora rabbits are either shorn or gently plucked of their wool every 3 months. Recent undercover video footage has shown Chinese farmers vigorously ripping out fibre from the rabbit’s body. The reason for this is that these farmers receive a higher price for the entire length of the hair. Several companies have ceased production of angora products in response to the allegations. Relationships with producers should be closely monitored to ensure friendly practices are being implemented.

Processing

Scouring

Around two-thirds of the weight of the wool fibre by weight is grease, dried sweat salts, skin flakes, dirt and dried plant matter. To remove these substances from the wool fibre, a cleaning or scouring process is carried out at hot temperatures (approx. 60-66º C) in an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide and detergent.5 Scouring consumes large amounts of water, and produces an effluent with high biological oxygen demand (BOD) and high-suspended solids content.6 This reduces the dissolved oxygen (DO) levels meaning less oxygen is available to fish and other aquatic organisms. Trace elements of pesticides also remain in the wastewater. Some of these detergents used for scouring are banned in Europe, but not elsewhere.7

Shrink proofing

Anti-shrinking treatments prevent wool from felting during wash and generally include chlorine in some form. Chlorine-Hercosset is a treatment used on wool fibre. Dry chlorination is a treatment carried out on wool fabric using chlorine gas. Repeat exposure to chlorine can affect the human respiratory system. In addition, depending on the amount used and how it is handled, chlorine may be released into the air and water and in certain conditions may form dioxins.8 The wastewater from the wool chlorination process contains chemicals of environmental concern. Due to these chemicals, this wastewater cannot be accepted by water treatment facilities in the United States. Therefore all chlorinated wool is processed in other countries, and then imported.9

Dyeing

The dyeing processes for wool involves standard industry chemicals and water use. Certain types of dyes are suspected carcinogens and mutagens, and untreated dye water can negatively impact receiving water bodies and harm aquatic ecosystems if left untreated before its release.

Consumer care/washing

Woven wool fabrics may be handwashed, spot cleaned, or dry-cleaned, depending on the product. Washing and caring for any product can cause significant environmental impacts due to chemicals used in cleaning products. Certain chemicals used in dry-cleaning and at-home products have been reported to have detrimental effects on humans and the environment, contribute to ozone depletion and can pollute wastewater.

End of use

Although 100% wool fibre is biodegradable, the amount of time it could take for a wool product to decompose naturally and in a short period of time is dependent upon a number of conditions—including how much air, temperature and sunlight the fibre is exposed to. If the waste is buried in a landfill, it can take even longer for it to break down.10

Optimize sustainability benefits

OPPORTUNITY	BENEFITS	CONSIDERATIONS
Promote suppliers using certified organic Merino wool.	No disallowed chemicals used. Organic feed fed to animals. Carrying capacity of the grazing land is considered and the size of the flock is monitored to avoid land degradation. Animals are quarantined when sick, rather than continuously fed with antibiotics.	Organic wool is available, though not so readily as conventional. Organic wool is more expensive than conventional wool.
Promote suppliers who use natural substances to scour wool tops.	Provides “gentle” scour, which results in less biological load and fewer toxic chemicals in the wastewater
Implement humane methods of flystrike control in Merino sheep.	Sheep are treated holistically as a first resort if flystrike occurs.	Methods of mulesing and chemical application are used only when absolutely necessary. Less available than conventional wool.
Promote the use of chlorine-free wool.	Chlorine is not used during the shrink proofing process.
Promote suppliers who treat the effluent after the scouring process, and reclaim the lanolin.
Promote suppliers who use recycled Merino wool.	Available in Northern England and Prato, Italy. Since wool is a renewable resource, the primary benefit of recycled wool is in reducing loads on landfill. However, using recycled wool may also ease the pressure that industrialized sheep ranching places on the land.	Recycling wool creates shorter fibres, which need to be blended with a percentage of virgin wool or synthetic fibre to maintain strength for finer-count yarns. The coarser the yarn count, the less virgin wool or synthetic fibre is required.
Promote suppliers using Cardato Regenerated CO2 Neutral products.[11]	The Cardato Regenerated CO2 Neutral brand certifies both the carbon footprint of the textile production process and the use of regenerated raw materials. To carry the label, products must be produced in Prato; produced with at least 70% of recycled material (recycled clothing or textile off-cuts); and be made by mills that have accounted for their CO2 emissions and have purchased emission credits from the Prato Chamber of Commerce.
Promote the use of natural colour wool.	No bleaches or dyes are used in this case, and associated pollution impacts are avoided.
Promote wildlife-friendly grazing practices for Cashmere goats. Prioritize sites that have endangered wild species.	Decreases impacts of overgrazing and loss of biodiversity due to desertification.
Develop relationships with producers and monitor farmers.	Ensures animal-friendly practices are being implemented.
Promote OEKO-TEK certified wool.[12]	Ensures that products pose no risk to health. These products do not contain allergenic dye-stuffs and dye-stuffs that form carcinogenic aryl-amines, and several other banned chemicals. The certification process includes thorough testing for a long list of chemicals

Availability

There are several companies supplying organic wool fabrics and yarns internationally. Recycled wools are readily available in West Yorkshire, UK, and Prato, Italy. Non-mulesed wool is available in Patagonia, South America, and even in certain areas of Australia, since the blowfly does not exist in these areas.

End use

The applications for wool vary according to the type of fibre/breed of sheep and animal. Organic certification is now available for a variety of wool types and certified organic wool fabrics range from fine knit wool crepes to woven melton. Recycled wool lends itself more to knit sweaters and coarser fabrics, though smaller percentages of recycled wool are found in high-end tweed fabrics made by Italian mills.

Marketing opportunities

certified organic wool With certification from an internationally recognized agency accredited by IFOAM. X% post-consumer recycled wool X% post-industrial recycled wool biodegradable All fibres, yarns, trims and dyes used to manufacture the product or garment must also be biodegradable, or disassembled before disposal. This should be substantiated with documentation that the product can completely break down into non-toxic material by being processed in a facility where compost is accepted. Secondary label or marketing material should be provided to instruct customer.

Innovation opportunities

1. Use organic wool in blends to add character and texture to organic cotton.

2. Use naturally coloured wool (black/brown) to create heathers with white wool or cotton.

3. Implement an integrated approach to flystrike prevention. Work with ranchers to combat flystrike through holistic means, and use mulesing and chemical applications as a last resort.

4. Consider using a coloured wool wrap around a less expensive cotton core to create a marled yarn.

5. Combine stripes of organic wool with stripes of organic cotton and agitate in hot water to felt the wool and pucker the cotton.

6. Use wool in strategic areas of a garment to emphasize its self-cleaning and moisture absorbent attributes, such as under the arms.

7. Partner with a local cleaner to promote wet or steam cleaning to the customer instead of dry-cleaning.

Sources

1. Sheep and Wool, Animal industry, http://www.h-ed.com.au/think/13-animal-industry/43-sheep-and-wool.html?
2. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/sheep-farmers-flocking-back-to-mulesing/story-e6frg8y6-1226557807686#
3. ah.novartis.com.au/livestock_products/clik.html/section/470
4. http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/09/12/mongolia.cashmere.herders/
5. Russell I. M., Sustainable Wool Production and Processing, in Blackburn R.S. (Ed.) Sustainable Textiles Lifecycle and Environmental Impact, Woodhead Publishing, Cambridge, p63-87.
6. http://www.polyseed.com/misc/BODforwebsite.pdf
7. oecotextiles.wordpress.com/2009/08/11/what-does-organic-wool-mean/
8. http://www.epa.gov/chemfact/f_chlori.txt
9. http://www.patagonia.com/us/patagonia.go?assetid=8516
10. http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/waste-decomposition-rates.html
11. http://www.nicefashion.org/en/professional-guide/recycling/Recycledtextiles.html
12. http://www.OEKO-TEK.com/media/downloads/Factsheet_OETS_100_EN.pdf