KRUSing into the Future: Restoring a Local Value Chain Through Cooperation

Klepp, Ingun Grimstad; Haugrønning, Vilde; Tobiasson, Tone Skårdal

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-88300-3_1

Cited by 1 publication

(2 citation statements)

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“…Norwegian wool has a high degree of utilization, despite being what the global market would define as coarse wool because it has a local market incentivized by wool subsidies [117]. The findings, therefore, confirm previous research that shows that a mix of small and larger businesses improves resource utilization [39].…”

Section: A Systemic Viewsupporting

confidence: 83%

“…The Norwegian KRUS project, however, applied a broader approach of mapping, product development, and working closely with businesses and other stakeholders in the wool value chain, in addition to examining the technical qualities and breeding strategies to improve wool quality [39]. It has resulted in higher usage of Norwegian wool, including Norwegian crossbred (30-40 µ) and even coarser wool (≥40 µm), in textile products and a growing appreciation for the variety of qualities of different wool types.…”

Section: Previous Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reducing Plastic in Consumer Goods: Opportunities for Coarser Wool

Berg¹,

Klepp²,

Sigaard³

et al. 2023

Fibers

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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.

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Section: A Systemic Viewsupporting

confidence: 83%

Section: Previous Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%