No abstract

Wool of mountain sheep, treated nowadays as a waste or troublesome byproduct of sheep husbandry, was used for the production of sound-absorbing materials. Felts of two different thicknesses were produced from loose fibres. Additionally, two types of yarn, ring spun and core rug, were obtained. The yarns were used for the production of tufted fabric with cut and loop piles. During the examinations, basic parameters of the obtained materials were determined. Then, according to standard procedure with the use of impedance tube, the sound absorption coefficient was measured, and the noise reduction coefficient (NRC) was calculated. It was revealed that felt produced from coarse wool exhibits high porosity, and its sound absorbing capacity is strongly related to the felt thickness. For thicker felt the NRC achieved 0.4, which is comparable with the NRC of commercial ceiling tiles. It was shown that the crucial parameter influencing the sound absorption of the tufted fabrics was the pile height. For both types of yarns, when the height of the pile was increased from 12 to 16 mm, the NRC increased from 0.4 to 0.42. The manufactured materials made from local wool possess good absorption capacity, similar to commercial products usually made from more expensive wool types. The materials look nice and can be used for noise reduction as inner acoustic screens, panels, or carpets.

No abstract

Production and use of plastic products have drastically increased during the past decades and their environmental impacts are increasingly spotlighted. At the same time, coarse wool, a by-product of meat and dairy production, goes largely unexploited in the EU. This paper asks why more coarse wool is not used in consumer goods, such as acoustic and sound-absorbing products, garden products, and sanitary products. This is answered through a SWOT analysis of results from a desktop study and interviews with producers of these products made from wool, as well as policy documents relating to wool, waste, textiles, and plastic. Findings show that on a product level, the many inherent properties of wool create opportunities for product development and sustainability improvements and that using the coarser wool represents an opportunity for replacing plastics in many applications as well as for innovation. This is, however, dependent on local infrastructure and small-scale enterprises, but as such, it creates opportunities for local value chains, value creation, and safeguarding of local heritage. The shift to small-scale and local resource utilization requires systemic change on several levels: Here the findings show that policy can incentivize material usage transitions, but that these tools are little employed currently.

No abstract

Earthworks in the vicinity of roads, open mines, subsidence tanks and other man-made objects can lead to the creation of slopes that undergo erosion. One of the methods that can prevent their degradation and reclaim them is the use of geotextiles. An environmentally friendly option is using geotextiles that are produced from reclaimed fibres. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the mechanical and chemical properties of geotextiles, namely, ropes and fibres (containing wool and polypropylene), not only on the rate of the greening of slopes but also on the species composition of vegetation. We studied the floristic composition, species diversity, species growth and soil properties of four sites of reclaimed slopes on which 46 study plots (5 m × 5 m) were laid out. We found that some species were more confined to a higher content of wool and that other species were more confined to the content of polypropylene. Both materials caused a decrease in the Shannon–Wiener diversity but an increase in evenness under the impact of ropes when compared to the control. They both also contributed to a higher mean height of the plants when compared to the control. The rate of the plant colonisation process was markedly improved by the reclaimed geotextiles. A longer and more detailed study is required to examine the effect of geotextile ropes on habitat creation.

No abstract

The paper presents preliminary results of the studies concerning influence of geotextiles stabilizing the soil on vegetation of post-excavation slopes and drainage ditches. Analyzed anthropogenic habitats are situated in Międzyrzecze and Nieboczowy (Silesian Province, Southhern Poland). They have been previously subjected to reclamation treatment, consisting in installation of wool and synthetic geotextiles in the ground. The studies on plant community were conducted according to commonly applied Braun-Blanquet approach. Recorded phytocenosis were classified into Molinio-Arrhenatheretea R. Tx.1937 and Stellarietea mediae R. Tx., Lohm. et Prsg.1950 class. For comparison of plant patches growing on two variants of geotextiles Hierarchical Cluster Analysis was used. Moreover, the number of species (S), Shannon-Wiener index (H), evenness index (J) and average heights of herbal layer were calculated. It has been shown, that the type of geotextiles has a slight influence on the variability of investigated plant patches. However, relatively high differences in total coverage and mean height of herbal layer between plots protected and unprotected were observed. It shows that the geotextiles support the process of natural ecological succession on habitats with high inclination, mainly through water retention and reduction of erosion.