In an interview with Daniela, an expert in textiles, we want to take a closer look at merino wool. Daniela, you originally come from the sportswear industry. You hear a lot about merino, both good and bad. What is behind that?The performance and comfort of merino wool are wonderful. The fiber is a natural, biodegradable, and renewable raw material. However, the issue of animal welfare must be assessed as particularly...
In an interview with Daniela, an expert in textiles, we want to take a closer look at merino wool.
Daniela, you originally come from the sportswear industry. You hear a lot about merino, both good and bad. What is behind that?
The performance and comfort of merino wool are wonderful. The fiber is a natural, biodegradable, and renewable raw material. However, the issue of animal welfare must be assessed as particularly critical.
What are the environmental drawbacks of merino?
In some cases, chemicals that are still considered environmentally harmful and toxic to humans are used for dyeing and finishing the wool. At the same time, there are manufacturers who have since developed more environmentally friendly processes and chemicals to refine the wool. Anyone who looks for certain labels when buying merino products supports these efforts. Examples include GOTS (global organic textile standard) or RWS (responsible wool standard). But there are also responsible brands without a label. In that case, you need to check the website and ask the manufacturer.
To make merino textiles more durable, some manufacturers spin or process the fiber with polyester or polyamide. In that case, the textile is no longer guaranteed to be biodegradable. Blends of merino wool with cellulose fibers such as viscose or lyocell (known by the brand name Tencel), on the other hand, reduce the problem of microplastics during washing and disposal. With the rising demand for wool, the number of suppliers needed, meaning sheep, increases. Industrial livestock farming brings with it several problems. Large grazing areas and natural resources for sheep farming, for example.
Recently, someone told me about mulesing and sheep dipping. What exactly are these?
Merino sheep were bred to produce as much of the fine merino wool as possible. There is an insect species that nests in the fine fleece and skin folds of the sheep. These insects or their larvae are dangerous for the sheep. To prevent or remove this infestation, affected areas on the sheep (around the anus) are brutally cut away without anesthesia. This act of animal cruelty is called mulesing. There are various initiatives trying to ban this cruel practice. However, enforcement and monitoring are difficult to implement. The RWS (Responsible Wool Standard) guarantees wool from "mulesing-free" origins. Anyone who looks for this when buying is certainly supporting a good and important initiative. Another practice used on uncontrolled farms to prevent parasite infestations in sheep is the so-called "sheep dipping". Sheep are dipped in tanks containing pesticides and disinfectants using specially designed machines, or driven through pesticide baths.
What is the good news about merino wool?
Merino wool undeniably also has very significant functional and ecological advantages. The fiber is a natural, biodegradable, and renewable raw material, and water consumption in production is significantly lower than, for example, cotton. Wool can also be mechanically recycled. This is successfully done in Italy, for example. Merino regulates temperature: when it's cold it keeps you warm, when it's warm it cools you, and merino wool can absorb a lot of moisture before it feels wet on the skin. To a certain extent, the wool is self-cleaning and odor-neutralizing, so it needs to be washed less often, and 20 degrees is completely enough. That is a major plus for the fiber.
