Upping the WOOLUME: Waste Prevention Based on Optimal Use of Materials

Haugrønning, Vilde; Broda, Jan; Espelien, Ingvild Svorkmo; Klepp, Ingun Grimstad; Kobiela-Mendrek, Katarzyna; Rom, Monika; Sigaard, Anna Schytte; Tobiasson, Tone Skårdal

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-88300-3_3

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…This is particularly coarse wool that is not being used. Similarly to a lot of wool in the EU, where as much as 80% of the wool production is estimated to be treated as waste [2], this wool is a by-product of meat and dairy production. To investigate the use of this coarse wool, a wide range of product groups that do not require the softness of Merino wool, nor the strength of plastic fibers were examined.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is also what is mainly used by the European textile industry [22]. In comparison, the annual EU (including the UK) wool production is reported to amount to about 200 thousand metric tons [23,24], an estimated 160 thousand metric tons of which are discarded [2]. This wool is buried or burned instead of used and represents an expense to the farmers, rather than a potential income.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

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: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reducing Plastic in Consumer Goods: Opportunities for Coarser Wool

Berg¹,

Klepp²,

Sigaard³

et al. 2023

Fibers

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show abstract

“…In Estonia, on the other hand, meat has become a more important sheep product, in comparison to which wool has regressed to the status of an annoying by-product, and most of the wool is destroyed. The purposeful use of wool is a problem in most of the Nordic and Baltic countries (Haugronning, 2022). The better use of wool helps preserve traditional sheep breeds, which is important in ensuring biodiversity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estonian and Norwegian Sheep Wool as a Textile Material

Matsin,

Beilmann,

Blomli

et al. 2023

FormAkademisk

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In Estonia, up to 90% of local wool is not adequately valued, while in Norway, due to the well-functioning wool-buying and -sorting system, a large part of local wool is used purposefully. However, both countries have room for improvement in terms of the better usage of local wool. This article provides an overview of the Estonian-Norwegian wool research conducted in from 2020 to 2023 and its main results. During the study, wool was collected from three Estonian and three Norwegian sheep breeds, semi-worsted yarn was made from it, and knitted and woven fabrics were produced. Wool, yarn, and fabrics were tested in numerous ways. The paper presents the main test results and suggests how wools with a wide range of qualities can be used in innovative ways to create textiles. The smart use of materials is based on the possibilities offered by medium-sized production and knowledge about local wool.

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