A Wellington design company representative is off to China to explore its latest idea for blending New Zealand wool with waste products to make new textiles.
The Formary specialises in working with multinational companies and government organisations in finding new uses for large scale waste streams.
The firm has already had success in using New Zealand wool in a partially recycled upholstery fabric and is taking that concept further.
It will use a grant from Beef and Lamb New Zealand to determine whether New Zealand strong wool can be combined with an as yet un-named agricultural waste material available in China to develop a range of fabrics for domestic and commercial interiors.
Managing director Bernadette Case says it's still testing the concept, which is similar to what it did with Starbucks when it took their used coffee sacks and blended the material with wool to make a high-grade upholstery fabric.
She says the company would look at using a broad range of strong wool that would be sent to China for manufacturing the fabrics there.
Ms Casey is part of a Wellington mayoral delegation leaving for China on Monday.
