Report on the fiber training in the POLOLO ShowRoom, part 3
Wool made from animal hair is considered the oldest fiber used by humans - the fur of farm animals was already used in the Stone Age, explained guest speaker Heike Hess, branch manager of the Association of the International Natural Textile Industry (IVN), in the third part of the fiber training in the POLOLO ShowRoom. You can also find the previous two articles with a focus on leather and cotton in our blog. We also recorded the lecture on wool on film - you can find it at POLOLO on YouTube: “Wool – The ‘air conditioning’ among natural fibers”.
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Humans began spinning yarn around 12.000 years ago. The first sheep breeding is said to have taken place in Iran. Merino sheep from Spain have been particularly valued since the 14th century and were exported to Oceania and South America in the 19th century. According to Hess, the 20th century saw the advent of synthetic fibers Wool production is in crisis.
Leads with around 87 percent (2016). Australia the approximately 100 wool-producing countries, followed far behind by New Zealand with around five percent and Argentina and South Africa with four percent each. Total annual emissions are around 100.000 tonnes – with a slight downward trend.
Factory farming under criticism
Intensive factory farming obviously raises numerous problems: The routine use of chemical baths (e.g. with arsenic) leads to an accumulation of pesticide residues, ie neurotoxins, in the end product. Inappropriate husbandry and transport to the slaughterhouse are incompatible with animal welfare - the animals are exposed to hunger and thirst, illness and pain, fear and stress. In addition, there is the controversial mulesing, ie removal of the folds of skin around the tail, usually without anesthesia and disinfection, to prevent fly maggot infestation.
In the kbT world, the declared goal is to create small, to keep robust herds in a species-appropriate manner. Pesticide baths are avoided. Each sheep undergoes individual shearing and mulesing is generally prohibited - except in Australia.
Animal hair wool: natural fibers with many good properties
Wool made from animal hair has almost only positive properties. On the one hand, it is characterized by a high water absorption capacity on the other hand, it dries faster than cotton or hemp. It doesn't need to be washed as often anyway. However, it is prone to so-called pilling (the formation of pills or lint) and matting - it must be washed carefully at low temperatures with special detergents and without spinning.
The high breathability and good thermal insulation basically acted like air conditioning. Natural wool has a high level of elasticity, is wrinkle-free and bacteria-resistant, and is also flame-retardant, says Hess.
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