Wool not fuel: Woolmark highlights impact of wearing synthetic fibres in new campaign

Kaycee Enerva

Kaycee Enerva

The Woolmark Company

Australian non-profit organisation, The Woolmark Company (Woolmark), has launched a campaign that seeks to inform consumers about the impact of synthetic fibres on the environment and how choosing natural fibres such as cotton, linen, or wool is better for the planet.

The “Wear Wool, Not Fossil Fuel” campaign is a 60-second film depicting people struggling to escape an oil-filled swimming pool. It is based on research that every 25 minutes, an Olympic pool’s worth of crude oil is used to manufacture synthetic clothing – equivalent to nearly 350 million barrels per year.

“It is predicted that in just 10 years, 73 per cent of the entire clothing market will be made from synthetic fibres, which are derived directly from fossil fuels,” said John Roberts, MD, Woolmark.

“The impact these clothes have during the use and end of life stages cannot be underestimated.”

An equivalent of nearly 50 billion plastic bottles’ worth of microfibres enters wastewater each year from washing, in contrast to wool fibres that biodegrade and compost in land and water, explained Roberts.

The campaign was written and produced in creative collaboration between Park Village, 20something and Studio Birthplace, whose award-winning portfolio includes their recent Cannes Lions & D&AD winning film Wasteminster: A Downing Street Disaster for Greenpeace UK.

“We’re here to remind you to check the label of your clothes, change how you consume and make cleaner, greener choices,” said Woolmark.

 Woolmark is a subsidiary of Australian Wool Innovation, a non-profit enterprise funded by nearly 60,000 woolgrowers that conducts research, development, and marketing for Australian wool.

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Kaycee Enerva

Kaycee Enerva

A digital content manager based in the Philippines, Kaycee Enerva has written for multiple publications over several years. A graduate of Computer Science, she exchanged a career in IT to pursue her passion for writing. She's slowly practicing sustainability through period cups, and eating more plant-based food.

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