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Life Cycle Assessment of Wool: Success stories and current and proposed
priorities
Beverley Henry
Chair, Wool LCA Technical Advisory Group
85th IWTO Congress Sydney
Overview
Introduction to the Wool LCA TAG
On-farm fibre production: The allocation story
Counting wool’s strengths: Use, reuse and recycling
Current/Future Priorities: Data and Methods gaps
Sharing the story: Engagement and Communication
IWTO Executive Committee
Sustainable Practices Working Group
Wool LCA Technical Advisory Group
Observers: David Maslen, Allan Williams, Steven Ranford, Kjersti Kviseth
Wool LCA Technical Advisory Group helping to tell the true story of wool’s environmental performance
Management supported by AWI
Raw material
Use
Processing
Manufacture
Disposal
Retail/Brands
The life cycle of wool products
Raw wool(on-farm)
Consumer use
Fabric manufacture
Case study: Climate change impact of a fine wool garment
Results inconsistent and highly uncertain Ratings for wool depend on these uncertain, inconsistent results
Environmental impacts across wool’s life cycle
Changing how impacts of sheep are allocated to wool and meat
On-farm fibre production: The allocation story
Case study: Climate change impact of a fine wool garment
Economic allocation Biophysical allocation
Paper published in scientific journal recommending a defensible allocation method
Method used in other wool LCAs, papers
Next chapters in the allocation story: Wider adoption More data/case studies Improved methods for other production impacts
On-farm fibre production: The allocation story
Raw material
Use
Processing
Manufacture
Disposal
The life cycle of wool products
Raw material
Use
Processing
Manufacture
Disposal
Reuse
The life cycle of wool products
Raw material
Use
Processing
Manufacture
Disposal
Reuse
Open-looprecycling
Closed-looprecycling
Counting wool’s strengths: Use, reuse and recycling
Fibre
content
T-shirt/
undershirt
Sweater
Wool 33.2oC (3 days) 30.5oC (7 days)
Cotton 43.8oC (2 days) (3 days)
Use
Reuse Recycling
The life of wool is frequently extended by reuse, recycling:
Wool is ~1.3% virgin fibre but ~5% of total clothing donated
Well-established open-loop and closed-loop recycling of wool
Data for Norway (SIFO)
Preliminary data: Wool apparel has a longer service life and lower impacts per wear cycle
Current/Future Priorities: Data and Methods gaps
Raw wool(on-farm)
Consumer use
Fabric manufacture
Case study: Climate change impact of a fine wool garment
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Current/Future Priorities: Data and Methods gaps
Accurate, fair ratings for wool depend on better data and methods
Sharing the story: Engagement and Communication
Life Cycle Assessment: Understanding Wool’s Environmental Performance Fact Sheet
Guidelines for conducting a life cycle assessment of the
environmental performance of wool textiles
LCA: If Only Life Were So Simple
(A non-technical discussion paper)
Product Environmental Footprint
LCA experts, Academic networks
Thank you [email protected]
