sustainable solutions with fiona drummond
Staying warm this winter
In praise of wool
Whatever happened to wool carpet in New Zealand, the byproduct of one of our essential industries! Nadia Lim, the creator of My Food Bag, is also a sheep and crop farmer in Central Otago and recently wrote: “There’s so little demand for wool that we literally have tonnes of it sitting in our shed in bales. It must be an education and awareness thing, because if everyone was actually serious about wanting to be more sustainable, do you think as many of us would be wearing (synthetic, petroleum-based) acrylic jumpers and polar fleece, or that we’d put synthetic insulation and carpets in our homes? Imagine how much plastic (and toxic chemical) waste that generates.”
Wool Carpet in the Brake house, Titirangi. © Bremworth Ltd
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The Fringe JUNE 2021
She’s got a valid point. In the United States, seven percent of non-compostable waste in landfill comes from synthetic carpets and rugs alone. Manufacturing a typical nylon-based carpet for a small two-bedroomed house requires the energy equivalent of 300 litres of petrol while synthetic fabrics leach micro-plastics into our waterways every time they’re washed. Most carpet isn’t sustainable with its synthetic fibres, glues, dyes, stain, fire, insect-resistant finishes and energy requirements. Wool carpet, however, uses a local natural resource and is biodegradable meaning it needn’t join the synthetic alternatives into landfill. For a hard-wearing flooring which helps create a warm, dry and healthy home, it has no equal. And of course we are supporting home-grown primary industries.
Wool carpet was the preferred option for flooring for many years but this had changed over the last 20 years as lower cost choices, including those made from plastic fibres, became available. Kiwi manufacturer Bremworth (formerly Cavalier Bremworth) has committed to phasing out synthetic fibre carpets which it says have “negative impacts on people’s health and the planet” in favour of wool and natural fibres to meet a growing demand from consumers wanting high quality, natural and sustainable products in their homes. Bremworth already recycles some commercial carpet and is looking into recycling residential carpet in the future. Visit https://bremworth.co.nz/wool-carpets. And if you are renovating and replacing your existing carpet, consider offering it on TradeMe or contacting local charities before you send it to landfill. Wool is also good for home insulation. Poorly insulated houses lead to many health issues such as asthma, bronchitis, rheumatic fever and infectious skin diseases. The structure of sheep wool fibre is 'hygroscopic', meaning it absorbs moisture and releases it in the form of vapour – helping to mitigate the risks of damp and condensation. Earthwool glasswool is available for underfloor, wall and ceiling insulation and is made using a combination of wool and up to 80% recycled glass and sand making it a great choice for environmentally conscious customers. It has no added formaldehyde and is based on renewable, bio-based materials instead of traditional petroleumbased chemicals. Another home-grown product, Terra Lana NZ Wool Blend, is sustainable ceiling insulation that keeps heat in, blocks out noise, is stable and long lasting and backed with a 50-year guarantee. The wool carpet and textile industry produce considerable yarn wastage. Terra Lana recycles this and blends it with polyester (for rigidity), sourced mainly from recycled PET bottles. Any wastage is returned into the blending process. There is government help available to insulate your home if your home is built before 2008, doesn’t have ceiling and underfloor insulation and you have a community services card or live in an area identified as low income. Funding could cover up to 90% of the cost of ceiling and underfloor insulation. Visit https://tools. eeca.govt.nz/warmer-kiwi-homes-tool/ to see if you are eligible.
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