From Sheep to Seaweed

Plastic rope is being washed up on coastlines and rubbing against rocks, resulting in them becoming coated in a hard plastic, or plasticrust, which could cause wider issues by entering the marine food chain. A similar effect can result through the hauling of heavy nets back onboard fishing vessels, the resulting abrasion releasing millions of micro plastic fragments into the sea. There’s also simple degradation, with plastic taking an average of 20 years to breakdown, with some taking much, much longer.
But an answer could be at hand.
Kate Drury is a fourth generation sheep farmer and sits on the Board of British Wool, so knows a thing or two about the overall benefits of this material. Following a meeting between the Royal Agricultural University and a Seaweed Agent from the Southern Hemisphere, she was brought in to discuss the possibility of using wool as a substrate rope onto which seaweed could grow.
The product is currently undergoing extensive testing at Tinius Olsen's laboratory, where it will establish the tensile strength of the rope under Standards such as ASTM D-6268, although interest in this wool rope application has grown exponentially as word has spread of its development and potential benefits to both the environment and fishing industry based economy. Production is of course dependent on the data acquired from the extensive materials testing currently well underway. There are already 860 samples being tested during the second trial of the rope this year, which Tinius Olsen are again supporting.
The results of this and broader research data will establish the best place of manufacture and other variables such as sufficient wool supply and the potential of commercial companies switching production methods/materials.
It’s going to be a very interesting few years ahead, especially if you’re a sheep……..