‘Synthetics pollute – think wool’
A new wave of socially and environmentally-conscious consumers are turning to natural fibres for their clothing and homes, rejecting polluting synthetics and plastics.
New Zealand wool companies are already tapping into this trend, promoting wool as a natural, biodegradable and renewable replacement.
But while momentum is growing, returns remain stubbornly low for the coarser end of New Zealand wool clip.
While shoppers may think they have done their bit for the environment by ditching plastic bags, they are being advised to look at what they are wearing and how their house is carpeted, furnished and insulated.
New Zealand Merino Company (NZM) chief executive John Brakenridge said the average consumer only wore a new garment seven times, with synthetics and textiles some of the world’s biggest pollutants.
He said studies had shown that every time synthetic clothing was washed, it released 1900 plastic particles into the environment, making it one of the leading sources of microplastic pollution in the world’s oceans, and potentially ending up in the food chain.
In an experiment, NZM buried 100 per cent polyester fabric and 100 per cent merino fabric. After nine months, the merino fabric had biodegraded to virtually nothing while the polyester fabric remained fully intact.
To accelerate innovation and market opportunities, the privately-owned NZM will open a wool centre of excellence in Christchurch.
Studio ZQ will be an incubator for wool innovation, environmental projects and research into the fibre’s attributes and benefits for all wool types.
‘‘It will be a hub for designers, digital story tellers, innovators and scientists,’’ Brakenridge said. ‘‘It is a big investment for wool growers alongside key commercial players from around the world. We need to be modern and digital in our storytelling and targeting the conscious consumer.’’