Wool Impact and Campaign for Wool NZ Merge to Form Collective
Will a stronger, more coordinated voice help rebuild confidence and improve returns in the wool sector?
Wool from selected New Zealand farms is being used by Auckland-based tech company Lanaco to make filters for air purifiers.
Lanaco has partnered with Unilever-owned Blueair to launch the world's first bio-based wool filter - made from NZ wool and 100% USDA-certified bio-based material.
Wool material from Lanaco has proven effective in the toughest environments, even selected for NASA's Artemis missions to the moon and back, as part of the vehicle's emergency air protection systems.
Lanaco founder and chief executive Nick Davenport says that being selected for the Lunar missions is a tick of confidence for NZ wool.
Davenport believes NZ wool "stands at the base of a large mountain".
"Air is universal and where people breathe, there will be opportunity for NZ wool," he told Rural News.
Davenport says Lanaco is targeting the global filter media market, valued at more than US$8 billion.
The Unilever partnership is the first of several high-volume market opportunities that the company is pursuing, and more announcements around commercialisations are expected in the coming months.
The bio-based, USDA-certified wool filter based on Lanaco's Ecostatic filter that uses biodegradable alternatives while maintaining its high-performance standards.
Designed for the Blue Pure 211i Max air purifier, the new filters offer an 18-month lifetime and effectively capture allergens such as dust, pollen, and pet dander, removing 99.97% of airborne particles.
Davenport says the breakthrough of having the product make it to a global market is significant, both for Lanaco and for New Zealand wool.
"Just as Icebreaker did for wool clothing, Lanaco is bringing its branded New Zealand wool technology to the global filtration market by partnering with one of Europe's greatest consumer goods companies."
Blueair chief executive Andy Lu says Blueair has stayed true to its mission of helping people breathe cleaner, better air for 30 years, and its partnership with Lanaco, which brings the industry's first filter to market, shows what that mission can achieve.
"We have spent the past two years working hand in hand with Lanaco to bring this groundbreaking achievement to the masses. Thirty years in, and we continue to pioneer what air wellness can means for people's everyday lives."
New Zealand remains a small market for the wool filters, with some used in car air filters and DVS home ventilation systems.
