When it comes to sustainability, it is worth taking a closer look when buying a product. On the one hand, merino wool does have some advantages over other materials when it comes to sustainability. On the other hand, there are certain problems in animal husbandry, which are among the unpleasant aspects of wool production. But first of all, let’s look at the advantages of merino wool in terms of sustainability.
How sustainable is merino wool?
Merino wool is a naturally renewable raw material. Merino sheep can be sheared up to twice a year. Plus, they can produce up to ten kilograms of wool per animal. Particularly in comparison to synthetic fibres, the production and processing of merino wool is less harmful to the environment in some aspects. For example, synthetic fibres are often produced using crude oil. This requires a large number of chemicals and the use of large amounts of energy.
Moreover, synthetic fibres are almost completely non-degradable and therefore harm the environment if they are not recycled properly, ending up in landfill sites. Products made of pure merino wool, on the other hand, are entirely biodegradable. Furthermore, merino wool has natural properties such as odour inhibition, so it doesn’t need any environmentally harmful chemical additives. This is because the “technology” is already contained in the fibre. Lastly, the self-cleaning function of merino fibres also protects the environment, as the garments don’t need to be washed as often.
Animal welfare
However, animal welfare is not always the top priority in merino wool production. In Australia and New Zealand, there is an issue with fly maggot infestation in merino sheep farming, which can cause the deadly disease, myasis. The animals are virtually eaten from the inside out. In warm temperatures, such as those found in the Australian summer, the flies lay their eggs in the skin folds on the buttocks. In Australia – the country with the most merino wool producers – a method that is unfortunately painful for the animals is used to prevent fly maggot infestation – mulesing.
This involves surgically removing a plate-sized part of the skin folds around the buttocks. At present, there are very few uncontroversial alternatives to solve the problem of fly maggot infestation. Particularly because the fly maggots were probably – just like the merino sheep – only imported to Australia and New Zealand during the colonial period. More complex and expensive methods include regular shearing of the skin folds around the anus, regular checks of the sheep and timely medical intervention in case of infestation. Animal welfare activists therefore demand the targeted breeding of sheep with fewer skin folds on the buttocks. In fact, Australian merino sheep were deliberately bred to have more skin folds and thus a higher yield of wool.
Seals
In view of these gruesome facts, when buying a merino product you should ensure that only mulesing-free merino wool was used. Various seals such as the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), ZQ Merino, ZQ RX, IVN Best and GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) ensure that wool is mulesing-free. Many companies such as Icebreaker or Ortovox also state exactly where they get their wool in a traceable way.
Most outdoor companies such as Icebreaker, Ortovox, Bergans, Woolpower, Smartwool, Rewoolution, Devold and many others do not use wool if mulesing has been practised. If you are unsure, you should contact the manufacturer or dealer. If a merino garment is sold at a very cheap price, it may be due to the practice of mulesing. It is worth taking a closer look and maybe spending a little more. In return, you’ll get flawless quality and support the species-appropriate keeping of merino sheep.
