COTTON
WOOL Wooli san a t u r a lf i b r ei sg ott ob eg oodh a s n ’ t . I ti sa ne s s e n t i a l l yar e n e wa b l er e s ou r c e as h e e p ' sc oa t .S h e e pa r er e l a t i v e l yl ow i mp a c t a n i ma l ss i n c et h e yc a ne a tj u s ta b ou ta n y t h i n ga n dl i v ej u s ta b ou ta n y wh e r e ,a n dwooli sc omp l e t e l yb i ode g r a da b l e .Howe v e r ,ma s s p r odu c t i ona n dp r oc e s s i n gofwool c a nh a v es omeb a de n v i r on me n t a l i mp a c t s . Mos ts h e e pf a r msdi pt h e i rs h e e pi np oi s on ou si n s e c t i c i deb a t h st owa r dof fl i c ea n dt i c k s .Cl e a n i n gwoolr e a dyf ors p i n n i n gr e q u i r e sal ot ofwa t e ra n dc h e mi c a l s . Howe v e r , t h e r ea r es omewon de r f u l s u s t a i n a b l ewool s , s u c ha sHa r r i st we e dt h es h e e pdy i n gs p i n n i n ga n dwe a v i n gb y1 4 0i s l a n dwe a v e r s, i t i si nf a c tt h eon l yf a b r i ci nt h ewor l dwh i c hi sp r ot e c t e db yi t sownAc tofPa r l i a me n t . Wool i sv e r ydu r a b l e , s oi t se n v i r on me n ti mp a c th a st ob ea l s o me a s u r e da g a i n s tl on g e v i t y.
F r om f i e l dt oc l ot h, t hepr oc e s sofma k i ngc ot t ont r a ns f or mst her a w f i br e si nt ot hr e a ds , y a r na ndf a br i ci nt hr e es t e ps : Pr e pa r a t i on, S pi nni ng , a ndWe a v i ng . PREP ARATI ON T obeus e df ort hr e a dorf a br i c , r a ws e e dc ot t onmus tbec l e a ne da nd f r e eofde br i s . S e e ds , bur r s , di r t , s t e msa ndl e a fma t e r i a la r er e mov e d f r om t hec ot t ondur i ngg i nni ng , whe r et hes e e dc ot t onmov e st hr oug h dr y e r sa ndt hr oug hmul t i pl ec l e a ni ngma c hi ne s . Onc et hor oug hl yc l e a n a nddr y , t hec ot t ong oe st ot heg i ns t a ndwhe r ef i ne t oot he dc i r c ul a r s a wspl uc kt hef i br ef r om t hes e e d. The nt hec ot t oni spa c k e dt i g ht l y i nt oba l e s , r e a dyt obepr oc e s s e di nt ot e xt i l e s . Cot t onf i br e sa r es ha v e df r om t heba l e sa nds e ntt hr oug has e r i e sof c l e a ni nga nddr y i ngma c hi ne s . Themi x e da ndf l uf f e dupc ot t ong oe si nt o ac a r di ngma c hi newhi c hf i ni s he st hec l e a ni nga nds t r a i g ht e ni ngoft he f i br e s , ma k i ngt he mi nt oas of t , unt wi s t e dr opec a l l e das l i v e r . Thes l i v e r i sdr a wnoutt oat hi nne rs t r a nda ndg i v e nas l i g htt wi s tt oi mpr ov e s t r e ng t h, t he nwoundonbobbi ns . I ti snowc a l l e dr ov i nga ndt her ov i ng bobbi nsa r enowr e a dyf ort hes pi nni ngpr oc e s s .
S PI NNI NG Onmode r ns pi nni ngf r a me s , y a r ni sma dedi r e c t l yf r om t hes l i v e r . The s pi nni ngde v i c e st a k ef i br e sf r om t hes l i v e ra ndr ot a t ei tma k i ngt he f i br e si nt oay a r n. S pi nni ngi st hel a s tpr oc e s si ny a r nma nuf a c t ur i ng . Wi t ht heus eof a ut oma t i cwi ndi ng , t hey a r nbobbi nsa r et r a ns f e r r e dt ol a r g e rbobbi ns c a l l e dc he e s ec one s . The s ec he e s ec one sc a nbes t or e dunt i lt he ya r e ne e de di nt hewe a v i ngpr oc e s s . WEAVI NG Looms we a v ec ot t on y a r ns i nt of a br i c st he s a me wa yt he f i r s t ha ndwe a v i ng f r a me s di d.Mode r nl ooms wor ka tg r e a ts pe e ds , i nt e r l a c i ngt hel e ng t hwa y sy a r ns( wa r p)a ndt hec r os s wa y sy a r ns( we f t ) . Thewov e nf a br i c , c a l l e dg r e yg oods , i ss e ntt oaf i ni s hi ngpl a ntwhe r ei t i sbl e a c he d, pr e s hr unk , dy e d, pr i nt e da ndg i v e nas pe c i a lf i ni s hbe f or e be i ngma dei nt oc l ot hi ngorpr oduc t sf ort hehome. Ot he rma c hi ne s ma k ek ni t sf orus ei ns hi r t s , s we a t e r sorbl a nk e t s .
WOOL
WOOL Wool i sab i ode g r a da b l e , n a t u r a l , r e n e wa b l er e s ou r c e-as h e e p ' sc oa t . S h e e pa r eq u i t el owi mp a c ta n i ma l ss i n c et h e yc a nt h r i v e i nmos tmode r a t ec on di t i on s . Howe v e r , mos ts h e e pf a r msdi pt h e i rs h e e pi np oi s on ou si n s e c t i c i deb a t h st owa r dof fl i c ea n d t i c k se t c .Comp ou n di n gt h ei s s u e , t h ema s sp r oc e s s i n gofwool , r e a dyf ors p i n n i n g , r e q u i r e sal otofwa t e ra n dc h e mi c a l s . S omewooli sc e r t i f i e d' or g a n i c ' a n dt h i sme a n st h a tma n ywi de l yu s e dc h e mi c a l sc a n n otb eu t i l i s e dt oa s s i s tt h es h e e port h e wool p r oc e s s or .Th i si n c l u de sab a nonc ommon l yu s e dt r e a t me n t sa g a i n s tl i c ea n df l i e sa n di n t e r n a l p a r a s i t e s . Th ewi de s p r e a du s eofmode r nv e t e r i n a r yme di c i n e si sama j orr e a s onwh yor g a n i cwool i sn otwi de l yp r odu c e da n ds u p p l i e s a r el i mi t e d. On c ea g a i n , i ti sac a s eofme a s u r i n gt h eb e n e f i t sa g a i n s tt h ec os t , t ot h ea n i ma l s , t h ee n v i r on me n ta n dt h ee n du s e r . Ch oos eq u a l i t y . Wooli sv e r ydu r a b l e , s oi t se n v i r on me n ti mp a c th a st ob ea l s ome a s u r e da g a i n s tl on g e v i t y-t h es oc ki nt h i s i ma g eh a sb e e nu s e dt of a s t e nt h a tg a t ef orov e r3y e a r sa n dc ou l ds t i l l b ec omf or t a b l ywor n .
Cl ot hi nga ta ne s t i ma t e dv a l ueof £140, 000, 00i ss e ntt ol a ndf i l le v e r yy e a ri n t heUK, hur t i ngourpoc k e t sa ndourpl a ne t . Re c y c l i ngc l ot hha sy e tt obe c ome ma i ns t r e a my e tt hepot e nt i a li st he r ea ndt hene e dwi l li ne v i t a bl yg r ow. Pur e c ot t on,pur epol y e s t e ra ndt e xt i l e swi t hhi g hwoolc ont e nta r et hemos t s ui t a bl ef orr e c y c l i ng . Mi x e df a br i c sa r epr obl e ma t i ca nde xpe ns i v et opr oc e s s t houg ht he s ec a nbeus e da si ns ul a t i onori ndus t r i a l wi pe s . Gl oba lpr oduc t i onofc ot t oni sc ur r e nt l ys t a t i ca ndi ss ubj e c tt o ma r k e t c ont r olb ys our c ena t i ons .Cot t oni sl i k e l yt ode v e l opi nt oa ni nc r e a s i ng l y pr e mi um pr oduc t . I ti sa nt i c i pa t e dt ha tde ma ndf ora l t e r na t i v epr oduc t swi l l r i s es i g ni f i c a nt l ya ndma yi nc l udec ot t onl i k ema t e r i a l spr oduc e dt hr oug ht he r e pr oc e s s i ngofpos t c ons ume rc ot t ont e xt i l e s . The r ea r et woma i nwa y st or e c y c l et e xt i l ef i br e :me c ha ni c a la ndc he mi c a l . Me c ha ni c a lr e c y c l i ngi smor ec ommona ndi st hes i mpl e s twa yt or e c y c l e ma t e r i a l s . Thepr oc e s si n v ol v e sde c ons t r uc t i ngt hef a br i c st oc r e a t er e us e a bl e
RECYCLED f i br e st ha tc a nbema dei nt one wy a r na ndc l ot h. Thedowns i dei st ha tna t ur a l
f i br e sa r epr onet oda ma g edur i ngt hes hr e ddi ngpr oc e s s , t husr e duc i ngqua l i t y . The yt he nha v et obemi x e d wi t hot he rf i br e st opr omot es t r e ng t ha nd l ong e v i t y . Themi xc a nbea shi g ha s20%r e g e ne r a t e df i br e sa nd80%v i r g i n.
Che mi c a l l y r e c y c l e dma t e r i a l , whe r ef i br e sa r er e t ur ne dt opul pus i ngs ol v e nt s , c e a s et obec ot t onde s pi t es i mi l a rpr ope r t i e s .Me c ha ni c a l l y r e c y c l e dc ot t on f i br e sr e ma i n‘ c ot t on’ .
Nota l lt e xt i l e sa r es ui t a bl ef orme c ha ni c a lr e c y c l i ng . Che mi c a lr e c y c l i ngs e e s
ma t e r i a l sg oi ngt hr oug hac he mi c a l pr oc e s st opr oduc ene wf i l a me nt st ha twi l l bet r a ns f or me di nt one wy a r nsa ndf a br i c s . Thi sme t hodr e qui r e st e xt i l e s c ons i s t i ngonl yoft hes a mef i br et owor ke f f i c i e nt l ya ndi sa l r e a dypa r toft he t e xt i l ei ndus t r y .Che mi c a lc ot t onr e c y c l i ngi n v ol v e sac ompl e xpr oc e s st o r e f or mul a t et hec ot t onf i br e sa ndi sc ur r e nt l yqui t er a r e . The e n v i r onme nt a ldr a wba c kt ot hi sme t hod l i e si nt he na t ur e oft he c he mi c a l se mpl oy e d. I de a l l y , ac l os e dl oops y s t e m wi l lbede v e l ope dt oof f e ra mor ee f f i c i e ntwa yt or e c y c l ef i br e s .
Thee s s e nc eofs us t a i na bl ec l ot hi ngi sac ommi t me ntt og a r me nt s wec a nwe a rs e a s ona f t e rs e a s ont ha tne i t he rda t enorwe a rout .
ME RCHANT&MI L L S