Australian Wool Services

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Australian Wool Services Sustainability Actions

Published sustainability progress report

AWI says it has published an Australian Wool Sustainability Progress Report that looks back at 20 years of sustainability programs, initiatives, and achievements in the wool industry. The report also says there are still ongoing challenges for woolgrowers, especially around biodiversity, climate impact, and resilience on farms and in local communities. This shows AWI is tracking long-term environmental work rather than treating sustainability as a one-off project.

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Built the Woolmark+ roadmap

AWI has developed Woolmark+, a roadmap of planned and ongoing practical steps for woolgrowers and supply chain partners. The program is meant to support sustainability targets, including cutting emissions and improving productivity. AWI says the roadmap covers work from the lab to the farm gate and beyond, and that a March 2025 update was published on the status of 13 initiatives. This suggests a structured industry program rather than a single campaign.

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Funded wool biodegradability research

AWI has funded research with AgResearch on how wool breaks down in the environment. The site says both untreated wool and machine-washable wool biodegrade in industrial composting and marine conditions, while synthetic fibres do not. It also says the resin used in machine-washable wool did not add microplastic pollution in the study. This research is used to support claims about wool’s end-of-life impact.

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Studied wool’s use-phase impact

AWI commissioned a life cycle assessment (a study that looks at environmental impact across a product’s life) with several universities and research bodies. The study says wool garments are usually washed at lower temperatures, washed less often, less likely to be tumble dried, and more likely to be reused or recycled after first use. AWI uses this to argue that wool can have a lower environmental impact during the use phase than some other common fibres.

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Created plastic leak guidelines

AWI says it worked with 35 organisations on the Plastic Leak Project Guidelines, which it describes as the first science-based method for mapping and measuring plastic leakage from industry. The guidelines help estimate how much plastic and microplastic is released by supply chains, but AWI notes they do not yet measure the harm caused. This is a practical step toward better tracking and reduction of plastic pollution.

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Supports on-farm environmental research

AWI runs and shares on-farm research on water, soil, biodiversity, regenerative farming, and natural capital accounting. Natural capital accounting means measuring the health of land and natural resources over time so farmers can make better decisions. The site also says AWI works with universities and institutions to study wool’s environmental effects across the supply chain. This shows a broad research focus on how wool farms can manage land more carefully.

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Promoted wool sustainability standards

AWI and related industry pages describe the Australian Wool Sustainability Scheme and its Caring for our environment pillar. The scheme says growers must show they maintain or improve soil health, biodiversity, water quality, and greenhouse gas outcomes. It also says audits are used to check compliance. This is an example of a formal sustainability standard linked to wool production.

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