Wooltex is located in a part of the UK that has been at the heart of textile manufacturing for centuries, Huddersfield. It is a place where tradition and innovation go hand in hand.
The mill, co-owned by Kvadrat, is one of our longest standing partner suppliers and a specialist in the production of natural wool textiles. The company’s efforts are focused on achieving ever-more efficient and sustainable production and the glories of working with nature’s own ‘wonder fibre’.
Wooltex has insourced all the production processes and upgraded its machinery. The new machines use much less energy and water. The new dyeing machines use only a few litres of water per kilogram of wool in comparison to 20 litres previously used.
Some 85% of the water used in the process is recycled. The closed system of machines reduces energy and heat loss in the production process and recycles the chemicals. During the winding process, new robot technology enables loose yarn ends to be connected to one long thread of yarn.
Wooltex optimises the use of yarn in the production process and reduces the amount of broken yarn that ends up as waste. Once woven, textiles need to be cleaned and destressed to ensure continuity in quality.
This is traditionally done in wet procedures, but new technology has allowed Remix and Steelcut Trio to be run through a dry process, thereby saving water. The dyeing has been optimised to recycle and save resources. All waste water is cleaned and 50% of the water is actually recycled and used in the dyeing process once again.
Wooltex is located in the heart of UK´s textile industry: Huddersfield, west Yorkshire. The local geography and climate are an important part of why this region is the centre of wool manufacturing in the UK - the textile industry was born here during the Industrial Revolution.
The area is surrounded by the Pennine mountains. Weather systems coming from the Atlantic hit the mountains and cause heavy rainfall on the western side of the hills (Lancashire). This wet weather is best suited to cotton manufacturing and the area became the world centre for cotton fabric production in the 19th and first half of the 20th century.
On the eastern side of the mountains where Huddersfield is situated, rainfall is less and the conditions are more suitable to the production of wool. In addition, the rock formations in Huddersfield result in an abundance of ‘soft’ water, vital for the finishing of wool textiles.
The mill is already accredited to ISO 9000 and expected to achieve ISO 14000 by the end of this year. The ambition, in terms of sustainability, is to keep monitoring energy usage and looking at alternative sources of water and the most energy efficient machines. Wooltex is currently also working with Kvadrat on an exciting project, still in its early stages, to make use of waste yarn.
Wooltex is located in Wooland Mill, England.
Wooltex
Woodland Mill
Dale Street
Huddersfield
England
HD3 4TG
+44 (0)1484 648492
office@wooltexuk.com
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