British Wool is Better

Last week I wrote about wool being the best fibre to use, especially for everyday woolly products or clothes.  This week I thought I would explain why British wool is better.  There are some obvious things to consider like environmental impact, animal welfare and support of local communities, but as I researched these areas, I was shocked by some of the facts.

The environmental impact of any product can be assessed using LCAs (Life Cycle Assessments).  The biggest issue with this method in regard to wool product production is the wide range of different production methods and the confusion caused by co-products e.g. meats.  Equally little research has been conducted into the effects of processing.  Therefore, I have used some assumptions in this article.

Where wool is grown

Before I started this article, I thought most of the wool came from Australia.  Well how wrong was I.  Most wool is produced in China. Yes, that’s right, China.  Interestingly though wool production has decreased over the last 5 years in China, Australia, and New Zealand, it has increased in the UK.

Source: FAO stats

In both China and Australia, sheep are grazed in pastoral regions which are vulnerable to overgrazing and land degradation.  This is worst in China, because ethnic minorities rely on wool and meat production as a major source of income.  In Australia, sheep production is normally part of a mixed farm, with arable land and cattle grazing.

China is not only a major producer of wool, it is also a major importer. Approximately 68% Australian wool and 44% New Zealand wool is exported to China. Most Chinese grown wool is used in the domestic market, although the highest quality fibre is exported as clothing.  The imported fibre is mostly exported in a range of products.

Wool Processing

There are many stages in the processing of wool fibre.  First there is the animal rearing and shearing, transport to the processing mills, scouring, dyeing and top making, spinning then weaving or knitting to create the product and transport to the consumer.  Here I am going to focus on the processing in China, because that is where most wool is processed and 65% of clothes are made in China.

Processing is difficult to assess because it depends on the rules and regulations at the time.  We need to consider the carbon footprint, water usage and industrial pollution.

In 2011, 17-20% industrial water pollution in China was from textile dyeing and treatment.  Added to this, 72 toxic chemicals in China’s water systems are entirely from textile dyeing.  This was not all in wool production, but it gives us an idea of the extent of the problem.  Thankfully, legislation is changing this, but it will be slow.

Textile processing is also a thirsty business and there are already water distribution issues in China.  The Chinese authorities are also trying to control the use of water.  Again this will take time.

One of the largest sources of greenhouse gases in the production phase of fibres is the processing stage.

This will be true for any country, but it is particularly worrying in China where 77% of electricity is still sourced from coal- or oil-fired power stations.  This is also changing, but only slowly.

Transport

There are many aspects to consider, whichever method of transport is used.  There is always a carbon footprint and air and noise pollution.  If you assume that 68% of Australian wool plus 44% of New Zealand wool is transported by cargo ships to China, then approximately 10 ships are needed per year.  Then shipping from China to the rest of the world, due to the addition of China’s own wool, approximately 11 ships are needed per year carrying solely wool.

At least 20 long cargo ship journeys are needed per year to ship wool about the world.  This requires heavy fuel oil, which generates pollution and generates greenhouse gases.  If you reduce the number of ship movements, then ocean noise pollution reduces.  Reduction in ocean noise is important, as it was shown in the Covid pandemic that whales have been able to feed and communicate better in the quieter seas.

The Best Way to Reduce your Environmental Impact

This is the worrying part for me.  According to several LCAs, the largest environmental impact any item of clothing has is how long it is used for.  Laundry has an impact, but to reduce your garment’s carbon impact please keep it for longer and don’t wash it too much.

 Summary

The benefits to the UK from using British wool include maintaining local communities as wool would have a value, so more sheep farmers would survive.  There would also be more jobs created in the textile industry, which is good for the UK economy.

The benefits to the World include less pollution released in transport.  The pollution and environmental effects would also be reduced as the UK has tighter controls over pollution than China.  The environmental effects of land degradation would also be reduced as the wool growing in the UK is limited to areas of good grazing.

Why British Wool is Best

As you have read this article, I hope you have realised that buying British Wool is better than any other possible source when considering the environment.  I know that it can be more expensive, at the moment, but I think that will change.  Processing costs will go up as China changes its legislation to meet ours.  Transport, even on large container ships, costs will go up as the world tries to reduce the effects of climate change.

Finally, we lack wool processing mills to meet the UK requirement in wool products and we will need to look again at fibre quality.  As it is there is a bright future for British wool with the right investment, at least I believe so.