Shear Innovation: Valorising wool waste using biotechnology to enhance horticultural peat-free growing media

养羊业是苏格兰和英国的一个标志性特征。根据InnovateUK KTN最近的羊毛创新行动计划，养羊业是*“替代就业机会有限的农村经济的基础”*“为经济贡献了2.914亿GB”*“在农场雇佣了3.4万人，在相关行业中有111,405个工作岗位。”虽然该行业的主要产品是羊肉，但在2021年，英国出口了3600万公斤羊毛，价值5800万美元(美元)，“2020年英国农民每只羊毛只有15-30便士，但每只羊的剪毛费用却比1 GB多”。报告称羊毛是“一种容易获得的、基本上是浪费的资源”。“呼吁创新，为羊毛及其副产品创造新的用途。此外，进入价值链的羊毛中，只有不到50%最终可用作纺织品，使得大多数羊毛作为废物和副产品材料在2021年至少达到3500万公斤(FAOSTAT)。与此同时，英国2030年的泥炭禁令给习惯于使用泥炭的专业种植者带来了财务和技术挑战。在这里，DEFRA预测，这15,000多名种植者--包括食品、观赏和树苗生产商--将面临：*未来十年1.926亿GB的过渡成本*由于使用无泥炭介质的成本增加而造成的4.561亿GB利润损失这些惊人的成本将损害这个利润微薄、对英国食品安全至关重要的行业。在这里，上议院园艺部门委员会的《播种》报告指出，如果没有对研发的财政支持，企业就不能向无泥炭过渡。这份报告强调了种植者对进口材料的担忧，“……我们正在用进口椰子等替代品产生的排放取代……[减排]……，有效地输出我们的碳足迹。”我们的项目试图通过为专业种植者创造一种循环和可持续的无泥炭种植媒介，结合羊毛废料来满足这两种截然不同的需求。在这里，我们将使用和开发我们的专利微生物和酶混合物来处理毛纺厂的废流，以释放它们的园艺潜力，并机械地处理羊毛废料，以改善其可混和性。这不仅将满足种植者的需求，还将为羊毛废料提供一个新的、非竞争的供应链。

The sheep industry is a defining feature across Scotland and the UK. According to InnovateUK KTN's recent Wool Innovation Action Plan, sheep rearing is* "the foundation of rural economies where there are limited alternative employment opportunities"* "contributes £291.4m to the economy"* "employs 34,000 people on farms and...111,405 jobs in allied industries."Although this industry's main product is lamb, in 2021 the UK exported 36 million kilograms of wool worth $58 million (USD),"in 2020 UK farmers were receiving just 15-30p per fleece, yet paying more than £1 to have each sheep sheared".The report declares wool "a readily available, largely wasted resource," calling for innovation to create new uses for wool and its byproducts. Furthermore, less than 50% of wool entering the value chain is ultimately usable as textiles, leaving the majority as waste and byproduct materials amounting to at least 35 million kgs in 2021 (FAOSTAT).Simultaneously, the UK's 2030 peat ban is causing financial and technical challenges for professional growers accustomed to using peat. Here, DEFRA predicts that these over 15,000 growers--including food, ornamental and tree seedling producers--will face:* £192.6m transition cost over the coming decade* £456.1m in profit losses due to increased costs of using peat-free mediaThese staggering costs will harm an industry that operates on thin margins and is essential to British food security. Here, the House of Lords Horticulture sector committee's "Sowing the Seeds" report notes "Businesses cannot make the transition to peat-free without financial support for R&D." The report highlights grower concerns surrounding imported materials, "...we are supplanting...\[emissions savings\]...with emissions resulting from importing alternatives such as coir, effectively exporting our carbon footprint."Our project seeks to answer these two distinct needs by creating a circular and sustainable peat-free growing media for professional growers that incorporates wool waste. Here, we will use and develop our proprietary microorganism and enzyme blend to process wool mill waste streams to unlock their horticultural potential and mechanically process wool waste to improve its mixability. This will not only answer grower's needs but also provide a new, non-competing supply chain for wool waste materials.