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Prince Charles visits Australia lauding wool’s sustainability

Terry Sim, April 3, 2018

Prince Charles.

CAMPAIGN For Wool patron Prince Charles has been commended by Australia’s Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud for his recent outspoken support for wool and sustainable fashion.

The Prince’s visit to Australia this week will coincide with his media comments promoting wool’s sustainability and condemning fashion’s shift from natural to synthetic fibres as an environmental catastrophe.

In his first interview with Australia’s media in five years, the Prince gave written answers to questions about the fashion industry’s environmental challenges, submitted by the Australian Financial Review Magazine’s international fashion editor Marion Hume.

The exclusive interview to be published in Friday’s AFR Magazine, was previewed by the Australian Financial Review newspaper today.

“Wool lasts, and as my campaign has demonstrated on many occasions, at the end of its life, it will biodegrade and enrich the soil in which it is buried. Recent research has shown that it will even biodegrade in sea water,” Prince Charles said.

“It also has remarkable resistance to fire, unlike man-made synthetic fibres which are highly flammable and made from fossil fuel! Australian wool growers across the nation enthusiastically supported the campaign in cash and in kind, and Merino wool is now enjoying an unprecedented global revival, which gives me great pride.”

Mr Littleproud today welcomed Prince Charles’ support for wool.

“Prince Charles understands Australian wool is grown in an environmentally sustainable way.

“He has always been a great supporter of wool and we thank him for it,” Mr Littleproud said.

“For the environment, wool is good.

“Nowhere is wool produced more sustainably than here in Australia,” the minister said.

He said Australia’s farmers produce the best wool in the world and do it in the most environmentally friendly way.

“If environmental sustainability was a key consideration in fashion house purchases, Australian wool would dominate the clothing shelves in department stores.

“Australian wool is far superior to competing synthetic fibres because of its light weight, strength, durability, warmth and water-repelling qualities,” Mr Lirttleproud said.

“I’m so glad a person of Prince Charles’ stature and global influence has a good understanding of the environmental superiority of Australian wool over other products.”

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall will arrive in Brisbane tomorrow and represent the Queen at the opening of the XXI Commonwealth Games.

The Royal couple will visit Brisbane and the Gold Coast together before Prince Charles tours Queensland and the Northern Territory, leaving Australia on April 10. It is not known if Prince Charles will meet with representatives of the Australian wool industry during his visit.

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Comments

  1. Cathy Hodgson, April 6, 2018

    I agree with it all; the price of woollen garments is a deterrent. People buy what they can afford and moths are keen on wool. Can anything be done about the latter pest?

  2. Hamish de Lautour, April 4, 2018

    Congratulations HRH for your instigation and support of the Global Campaign for Wool.
    It staggers me why wool floor coverings and furnishings have fallen so out of favour when they tick every box for human health and environmental health.
    The massive issue of micro fibres from synthetic clothing entering the foodchain via the ocean is becoming more widely known, but I find the silence from politicians deafening when it comes to promotion of wool as the preferred alternative.
    I challenge every Green party politician and all their self righteous followers to openly proclaim the virtues of wool and walk the talk by wearing only natural fibres and furnishing their homes likewise.

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