Advancements in softening treatments for human hair have inspired a ‘first-of-its-kind’ project to look at ways of making typically thick, coarse Scottish sheep fleece more suitable for use in clothing and other textile products. Highlands-based sustainable weaver and zero-waste clothing maker, Prickly Thistle Scotland has teamed up with luxury woollen mill, Johnstons of Elgin, to explore a new process that could see natural, ‘eco-friendly’ Scottish wool fibres used more widely in the Scottish textiles industry. The research project is being conducted by the Glasgow-based Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) and the University of Edinburgh.
As part of the feasibility study, chemistry researchers aim to use enzymes that naturally decompose wool to treat the fibres in a controlled manner to achieve a thinner, softer material. Variables such as the temperature, quantity of the enzyme and length of time the fibres are treated for will be tested to deliver the best outcome.
“Textiles is the second most damaging sector in environmental terms and, therefore, a widespread shift away from petrochemical-based products and disposable fast-fashion cannot come soon enough,” notes Clare Campbell, Founder of Prickly Thistle Scotland. “In this country, we have natural wool available in abundance on an annual basis: it’s a by-product of one of our biggest economic sectors. However, as agriculture tends to be driven by meat yield for livestock breed choices, the trade-off has been that farmers currently earn very little for their wool fleece.
“Scotland has a rich heritage of textile manufacturing and, at one point in the 1830s, around seven in ten workers were employed in the sector. Today, only a few woolen mills remain and ‘sustainability’ is at the top of the agenda – we are focused on supporting local people and minimising our impact on the planet.”
Cambell says the new project could be the catalyst for a significant shift in Scotland’s approach to manufacturing homegrown clothing and fabrics, bringing the country’s native fleece to a point where it can be used for a much wider range of products.
Initial results from the study are expected later this year and it’s hoped they will determine whether a suitable yarn quality can be achieved and used in future products designed by both Prickly Thistle and Johnstons of Elgin. The project team also intends to share their findings with the wider wool industry, in the hope of opening up a new Scottish supply chain and contributing to the sector’s regeneration.
“Industrial biotechnology skills and techniques can benefit such a wide range of sectors, underpinned by a collective ambition to develop more sustainable ingredients and materials,” says Liz Fletcher, director of business engagement at the IBioIC. “For Scottish fashion, it could unlock a brand-new supply chain by manipulating the natural decomposition of woollen fibres to make them more suitable and comfortable for the wearer – as well as reducing the environmental cost.”
As well as increasing the value of the natural material, the project could also have environmental benefits. According to a recent report from the European Parliament, the impact of fashion is widely reported: globally, less than 1 per cent of fabrics are recycled as clothing, and more than 60 per cent are derived from petrochemicals. Less than 2 percent of textiles come from animal fibres and, in Scotland, the majority of the yarn used in luxury clothing such as cashmere and Merino wool is imported from overseas.
Dominic Campopiano, Professor of Industrial Biocatalysis in the School of Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh, adds: “Our aim is to not only carry out world-leading, academic chemical research, but also work with industrial partners to deliver science that has beneficial impact to society. We must rapidly transition to a more sustainable and greener way of doing many things and, in this case, the application of nature’s enzymes will begin to deliver on these goals. This exciting, new project has partners with the same philosophy, each bringing technical and commercial expertise. I am excited to work with this enthusiastic team, help train a new generation of chemists, and thank IBioIC for pump-priming this project.”
