O o d h e a d p u b L i s h I n g L i m I t e d

3
Wool as a natural renewable fibre
I.   M.   R U S S E L L, CSIRO Materials Science and
Engineering, Australia
Abstract: This chapter investigates the increasing demand for natural and
renewable textile goods by consumers, ‘brands’ and retailers.
‘Environmentally friendly’ is not sufficient in its own right and garments
must still meet the basic consumer requirements of quality, fashion,
functionality, performance and value. The merits of different environmental
claims such as ‘eco-’ and ‘organic’ are discussed, noting the value of Type 1
eco-labels such as the EU eco-label in validating environmental claims and
assisting consumers to discriminate against ‘greenwash’. The increasingly
powerful role of European legislation in shaping global environmental
practices and in increasing information flows in textile processing is
acknowledged. The International Wool Textile Organisation has added some
clarity for wool supply chains by adopting definitions for eco-wool and
organic wool.
Key words: EU eco-label, eco-wool, greenwash, REACh, wool processing.