As a nation, British shoppers buy more new clothes than any nation in Europe, with people buying twice as many items of clothing as they did a decade ago.
‘Fast Fashion’ – the reproduction of highly fashionable clothes at high speed and low cost – has far-reaching effects in terms of plastic pollution.
Discarded clothes are piling up in landfill sites (government figures indicate that three in five garments end in landfill or incinerators within a year) and wildlife in our rivers and seas is eating synthetic fibres dislodged in the wash.
Wool is a protein fibre formed in the skin of sheep, and is thus one hundred percent natural, not man-made. Since the Stone Age, it has been appreciated as one of the most effective forms of all-weather protection known to man, and science is yet to produce a fibre which matches its unique properties.
As long as there is grass to graze on, every year sheep will produce a new fleece; making wool a renewable fibre source.
Woolgrowers actively work to safeguard the environment and improve efficiency, endeavouring to make the wool industry sustainable for future generations.
Products made out of synthetic fibres can take 30 – 40 years to degrade, while wool degrades in a fraction of that time. This is because wool is made of keratin, a natural protein similar to the protein that makes up human hair, which can be broken down naturally without causing an environmental hazard.
Natural fibres biodegrade naturally in soils and aquatic systems, so they don’t accumulate in landfill and oceans. So whilst wool will still shed fibres during washing, these fibres will break down naturally, without causing any harmful effects to the environment.
Wool will also reduce waste to landfill as it decomposes in soil in a matter of months or years, slowly releasing valuable nutrients back into the earth
Wool is an incredibly complex natural fibre, providing many attributes that plastic fibres just can’t match. Its natural crimp and elasticity endures constant wear and compression, and its bulk resists crushing and matting, helping it withstand continuous wear.
Wool naturally absorbs moisture when the atmosphere is damp, and releases it when the atmosphere is dry, supporting less frequent, lower impact washing, which in turn prolongs the lifetime of garments.
A simple airing is often enough to refresh woollen garments – simply hang them outside on a dry day for a couple of hours.
The World Economic Forum has highlighted some shocking facts recently, explaining how our culture of fast fashion harms the environment. Click here to learn more.
UK Farming and the Environment
Click here to see why UK farming is the most sustainable in the world.
