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The technology of shrink-resist treatments of wool has changed little over the last 25 years, still being largely reliant on chlorine-polymer combinations to achieve the high performance standards demanded by consumers, particularly with the increasing tendency towards 'easy-care' properties for all apparel. The need for effective alternatives to these long-standing processes arises from environmental pressures - both legislative and consumer-driven - and from the need to improve the technical performance and aesthetic attributes of wool. The company Precision Processes Textiles (Ambergate, GB) has been in the forefront of developments in wool shrink-resist technology for nearly 50 years, and continues to develop and exploit new ideas in the area, recently introducing new non-chlorine processes for batch and continuous operation. Some of the details behind these developments are explained in the paper, together with an outline of some of the newer technologies now being investigated in the laboratory. In addition, the ever-increasing demands placed on textiles are reviewed in the light of new approaches in the development of shrink-resist treatments.