PETA challenge offers $1 million to develop a vegan wool alternative

ANIMAL rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) hopes to spur the creation of the first viable vegan wool alternative with the "Vegan Wool Challenge," a major competition whose winner will pocket the modest sum of $1 million. All of which could help motivate fashion designers to rethink and reinvent.

Fighting against the use of animal-derived materials for many years, PETA has, over time, managed to drive down the use of fur and exotic leathers around the world, prompting a host of brands to rethink their stance on the subject.

The animal rights group is now taking things a step further by launching a contest to develop "a vegan wool material that’s visually, texturally, and functionally akin or superior to sheep’s wool and is adopted and sold by a major clothing brand."

Through its "Vegan Wool Challenge," PETA intends to "help abate [animal] suffering and fight the climate catastrophe," judging that "the wool industry produces massive amounts of methane, erodes soil, and contaminates waterways."

The initiative follows the organization's exposés of over 100 wool farms in Europe, North America, South America and Australia, testifying to mistreatment of lambs and sheep. The challenge will rely on the ability of designers to develop textiles that are increasingly innovative.

"From apples and hemp to kombucha tea and cacti, there seems to be no limit to what designers can use to create wonderful, animal-free clothing and accessories," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "PETA is delighted to offer innovative minds a big boost that will protect sheep, push fashion forward, and help stop the environmental degradation caused by animal agriculture."

The boost in question will be worth $1 million and will benefit the person who uses their imagination and creativity to develop the world's first vegan wool alternative.

Although sheep's wool is natural and biodegradable, and offers a host of advantages -- including its strength, which makes it a durable material over time -- it is also one of the most polluting materials due to the impact of animal farming and the resulting production of methane, as several studies have revealed.

In its latest report, the Textile Exchange organization states that the global production of wool fibers is relatively stable, standing at no less than one million tonnes in 2021.

However, the research continues, "transitioning to wool programs with both animal welfare and responsible land use criteria in place offers the potential to create positive impacts on animal welfare, land use, and biodiversity." The report also states that recycled wool has a market share of around 6% of the total global wool market.