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6157093 
Book/Book Chapter 
3 - Sustainable wool production and processing 
Russell, IM 
2009 
Woodhead Publishing 
Sustainable Textiles 
98 
63-87 
WOS:000276219600004 
Abstract: This chapter reviews the history and development of wool as a modern textile fibre and describes the systems that have been developed to overcome the inherent variability in the fibre production process. Wool is a natural and renewable protein fibre, with a complex physical micro- and nano-structure and a complex chemistry. Together these allow development of textile garments with unique comfort, performance and appearance characteristics. However, ‘natural’ does not automatically equate to ‘sustainable’ and the wool industry, like most other mainstream textile fibre industries, is examining its environmental performance. For Australian Merino wool, this is not being done as a marketing tool, but as a means to identify and confront the main environmental challenges and to direct future research. Three main production, processing and garment scenarios representative of Australian wool supply chains have been chosen for examination using life cycle assessment (LCA). Overall conclusions from the current study are that: biogenic methane is the major contributor to the carbon footprint, and the Australian industry is intensively developing tools to reduce enteric emissions; garment laundering accounts for most water consumption, and much energy (heating water and electrical drying); more research is needed to address the gaps in our background environmental knowledge, especially for electricity and energy production in Asia where the bulk of textile processing is currently performed. 
wool; production; processing 
Blackburn, R. S.