A New Zealand carpet manufacturer says it is close to mass production of fully compostable carpets.

Dr Kirstine Hulse, sustainability lead at Bremworth, says the new rug is hand woven from natural materials including sheep wool and alpaca fibres, created as part of a research initiative designed to test sustainability concepts in textile design.

“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 crossbred sheep and alpaca fibres are used in the first prototype, to provide a broad 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.

Bremworth CEO Greg Smith 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 in response to demand from consumers 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.

Textiles make up about five per cent of New Zealand landfill volumes with more than 186,000 tonnes entering the waste stream each year.

Wool is a natural fibre that breaks down due to its organic composition, but most wool carpets use a polypropylene backing and latex which contain synthetic materials, preventing the product from being composted.

Greg says New Zealand wool products carry a price premium in key export markets like North America, but there is a need to invest in value-added 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.”