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SYDNEY – New research out of Australia looking at the prevalence of chemical residues in greasy wool has found levels to be ‘extremely low’, which it’s believed will validate the increasing efforts of apparel rating agencies’ to address toxicity in their environmental assessments.
Compiling data from the past 30 years, AgResearch has mapped the presence of a wide array of chemical residues in greasy wool – including Organophosphates (OPs), Organochlorines (OCs), Synthetic Pyrethroids (SPs) – and says the residues of OPs and SPs in particular has declined over time to almost zero.
“This body of work will give confidence to environmental apparel ratings agencies and the broader textile industry regarding the very low levels of toxicity in wool; these favourable results reflect careful management practices by farmers servicing the apparel wool industry, increasing confidence all along the supply chain,” said Angus Ireland, programme manager for fibre advocacy and eco credentials at The Woolmark Company.
