1052 days ago

The Green Side of Wool

Robert Anderson from Curtain Clean at Whakatane ChemDry

We have a soft spot for sheep. For many, sheep are symbolic to New Zealand culture with the rearing of sheep being the backbone of the economy for many years.

Sheep farming was established in New Zealand by the 1850s and for several decades wool accounted for more than one third of New Zealand’s exports by value, with the sheep population peaking at just over 70 million in 1982.

This number is significant when compared to New Zealand’s human population of 5 million. By 2020 sheep numbers dropped to 26 million following a decline in profitability compared to other types of farming, particularly dairy.

While also farmed as a food source, today’s article focuses on sheep wool and its environmental attributes.

Wool is a natural and renewable resource and as long as our beloved sheep are eating our tasty green pastures they will always produce wool. Wool has amazing properties that make it ideal for many applications from home furnishings to underwear.

Cotton and synthetic fibres are currently the most commonly produced fibres globally, however, their performance and environmental benefits do not compare to wool.

From Wool to Yarn
The wool clip (the total yield of wool shorn during one season from the sheep) is sent to the scourers where it is cleaned and dried before being spun into yarn. The yarn is then sent to the textile manufacturer where many different processes are involved.

The yarn is wound onto dye cones to be dyed the required colours. Next the yarn is warped onto beams which are threaded through the loom, allowing the weft yarn to run across the warp and create a woven fabric.

The fabric is then inspected, washed, and dried. Very few chemicals are used in the processing, typically only water and heat.

Keep reading: www.curtainclean.co.nz...

Image
More messages from your neighbours
7 hours ago

Share your favourite lime recipe and get a free copy of our June issue

Mei Leng Wong Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

Kia ora neighbours. We will give away free copies to readers whose recipes are used in our magazine, and we're on the hunt for all things lime! Send your family's favourite way to use up this citrus, to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by April 17, 2025. If we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of the June issue.

Image
1 day ago

Enjoy a year of free fees*

Bob Owens Retirement Village

At Ryman you won't pay your base weekly fee for a whole year* when you sign up to an independent apartment or townhouse at a participating Ryman village before 30 June 2025.

That means that you won’t pay rates, water rates, building insurance, maintenance fees and more. That’s great financial certainty.

*Terms and conditions apply.

Image
3 days ago

Ding-ding! Back for round six!

Prospa

The Prospa Local Business Hero Awards are back! We're looking for local businesses that have stood out over the last 12 months - and by nominating a business in your community you could win some incredible prizes. Got an amazing mechanic? Know a super friendly pharmacist? Maybe you're gatekeeping a fab hairdresser. But it's time to spill!

Champion the incredible local businesses that make our New Zealand Neighbourhoods special by nominating them to be the 2025 Prospa Local Business Hero.

Nominations are now open – nominate your Local Business Hero now.
Nominate now

Image