Woolspill thing

In March, 1989, when the Exxon Valdez broke up in the waters of Alaska, spilling oil over thousands of square kilometres, researchers started to look for ways to clean the oil up, other than sopping it up in the feathers of seabirds. It was this tragedy that brought the world's attention to a development of the Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand (WRONZ).

In the 1980s they developed 'knops' - little lumps of wool that are combed out of the wool when the wool is carded.