Animal rights organisation PETA has created the Vegan Wool Challenge, a competition that calls on designers and researchers to develop a vegan alternative to sheep’s wool.
The first participant that develops a bio-engineered or bio-based material that emulates the feel, look and performance of wool, and is adopted by a major fashion brand by January 2024, will be awarded the $1 million prize pot.
The Vegan Wool Challenge aims to support PETA’s ongoing efforts against animal cruelty and mission to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the wool industry. Wool is currently the fourth most polluting material in the fashion industry, producing large quantities of methane, soil erosion and waterway contamination.
The last Vegan Wool Challenge was held in 2018 in collaboration with the fashion house Stella McCartney. Woocoa, a material made from coconut fibres and hemp, was crowned the winner.
More brands are racing to create biomaterial alternatives to animal products like leather and silk, utilising a range of materials including mushroom mycelium, natural rubber and even rice husks. Major labels like Adidas and The North Face have begun to implement these alternatives into their clothing. However, these alternatives have not gained as much popularity and usage as other alternative animal products like vegan leather.
PETA hopes that its $1 million prize money will encourage creative designers to innovate in this space, reducing the environmental impacts of traditional wool use.
