Schoeller is this year's winner of the Vorarlberg Innovation Award for its "sustainable production". The spinning and dyeing company was distinguished for its novel chlorine-free EXP 3.0 wool finishing. A great success for this trend-setting innovation!
Schoeller replaces gradually the decades-old chlorine-based finishing processes used all over the world by the new EXP 3.0 method. Generally, finishing enables wool to be machine-washed.
Wool without these finish properties tends to felt during washing. Conventional wool finishing requires the use of environmentally critical chlorine, but the new EXP-finishing is done without the use of chlorine. With the new EXP finish full machine wash-ability is given and the positive wearing properties are maintained.
This novel and also water-saving finish has been elaborated during several years’ research by Schoeller in cooperation with the University of Innsbruck (Austria). Due to the sustainability of the finishing process and the positive washing and care properties of the wool, EXP 3.0 finish has become a benchmark for government agencies. One of the reasons therefore: EXP 3.0 is the only finishing worldwide that has been certified according to the strict ecological standards of Bluesign and GOTS. Consequently, all doors are open to the novel machine washable EXP-finished merino wool.
