Carpet maker rolls out more optimistic future
Damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle to Bremworth's Napier plant resulted in severe capacity constraints for the carpet maker and a poor half-year performance.
The development of a prototype rug which contains no plastic materials could bring New Zealand’s wool export industry closer to mass production of fully compostable carpets.
According to data from the Ministry for the Environment, textiles, including carpet, make up approximately 5% of New Zealand landfill volumes with over 186,000 tonnes entering the waste stream each year.
Greg Smith, Bremworth chief executive, says the development of fully compostable carpet that can be mass-produced in a financially viable way would be transformational for New Zealand’s wool exports.
He says the three-year research initiative was launched as a response to consumer demand for an environmentally sound, end-of-life solution for carpet.
“We know there has been a post-pandemic shift in the way our international customers are seeing New Zealand wool, with a growing number looking to integrate natural fibre products into their home environment.
“While design and quality remain key drivers for most segments, what happens at the end of a product’s useful life is becoming an increasingly important factor in the purchase decision.”
He says that ultimately, for New Zealand wool products to carry a price premium in key export markets, the sector needs to invest in the creation of added-value products.
“Our latest research initiative is designed to help us build a product range which can be meaningfully reused or naturally returned to the earth in a way that resonates with our customer base - without compromising the design and performance that they care about,” he says.
Dr Kristine Hulse, sustainability lead at Bremworth, says while wool is a natural fibre which can break down due to its organic composition, most wool carpets use a polypropylene backing and latext which contain synthetic materials – preventing the product from being composted.
She says the new rug, which is hand woven from natural materials including sheep wool and alpaca fibres, was created as part of a rapid prototyping research initiative – designed to test a number of sustainability concepts in textile design.
Each step in the programme is designed to address barriers preventing carpet from completely breaking down at the end of its life.
“By preserving the natural integrity of the fibre we can increase the number of opportunities for product circularity, increase the number of secondary uses for used carpet and significantly reduce volumes of textiles entering the landfill,” she says.
Hulse says crossbred sheep and alpaca fibres were used in the first prototyping process to provide a broader range of colours but more trials are underway to find alternatives to the use of alpaca yarn – which is in limited supply in New Zealand.
Analysis by Dunedin-based Techion New Zealand shows the cost of undetected drench resistance in sheep has exploded to an estimated $98 million a year.
Shipping disruption caused by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea has so far not impacted fertiliser prices or supply on farm.
The opportunity to spend more time on farm while providing a dedicated service for shareholders attracted new environmental manager Ben Howden to work for Waimakariri Irrigation Limited (WIL).
Federated Farmers claims that the Otago Regional Council is charging ahead unnecessarily with piling more regulation on rural communities.
Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.
OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.
OPINION: A mate of yours truly wants to know why the beef schedule differential is now more than 45-50 cents…
OPINION: Your canine crusader understands that MPI were recently in front of the Parliamentary Primary Sector Select Committee for an…