Monthly Archives: July 2020

As a lead-in to the international Wool Research Conference, which has been postponed until March 2021 at the earliest,  AgResearch hosts this on-line conference.  Conference sessions will be scheduled at times that will maximise participation by international attendees. AgResearch (NZ) will host the International 'Virtual-Wool' Research Conference, 26-27 August 2020. The Conference welcomes abstracts for presentations from researchers working on wool, human hair, and protein-based materials that describe the latest findings in the following areas: Wool and hair fibre science Fibre processing technologies Wool textile chemistry, including coloration and finishing Haircare products and technologies Specialty animal fibres Sustainable wool processing The in-use and end-of-life impact of wool products Measurement and characterisation of wool fibres and textiles Novel wool products and technologies Design with wool Wool-derived materials and bioproducts The role of wool in a post-Covid world Email IWRC20@agresearch.co.nz for the abstract template and details. Abstract

The average number of lifetime wears for the “first user” of the garment: 79 When the first person to own the garment no longer wanted it, the garment was either disposed of to municipal waste, recycled, given to family members, or donated to charity and resold. The rate of donation to charity for resale: 76% The wool sweater was worn on average for 5.2 days  between washes Use Phase is key to sustainability of clothing, wool research finds. The sustainability of our clothing is strongly influenced by the number of times it is worn and how long it is actively used,  new wool reasearch reveals. By examining the full life cycle of a wool sweater, researchers found significant opportunities to reduce environmental impact by wearing clothes more often and keeping them longer. Completing seven years of work, a team of researchers from Australia, New Zealand