On Thursday, November 17, 2022, the animal protection association Peta launched an unprecedented competition, promising 1 million dollars to whoever will develop vegan wool.
$1 million. This is the dizzying sum that the American branch of Peta promises to anyone who will develop a vegan wool. The animal protection association hopes, with its Vegan Wool Challenge, accelerate the process of developing materials that do not require the use of animal exploitation. Specifications ? The material developed will have to be made without any animal fibers and resemble sheep’s wool in its appearance, texture and functionality. It should also be biodegradable or recyclable. Participants have until July 28, 2023 to present their sample of vegan wool along with a realistic production plan. This new material will then be adopted and sold by a major clothing brand.
“From flowers and fruits to hemp and soybeans, the options are limitless when it comes to developing eco-friendly and ethical materials to create animal-free clothing and accessories.“, declares in a press release Mimi Bekhechi, vice-president of PETA for Europe. If this project succeeds in seeing the light of day, it will achieve three objectives of the Peta association: protect the sheep the exploitation of their wool in sometimes immoral conditions, advancing the world of eco-responsible fashion and fight against environmental degradation caused by intensive farming.
A timely competition
This action led by the animal defense group Peta is part of a context of increasingly marked climatic degradation. In addition to fighting against suffering of sheep who are very often mistreated in the context of the exploitation of their wool, this competition also includes an environmental aspect since it aims to end intensive farming of animals. Especially since the wool industry damages the soil, contaminates the water and is responsible for a considerable release of methane, one of the greenhouse gases that contributes to global warming. These environmental issues are increasingly affecting younger generations (but not only!) who are now looking to dress in eco-responsible, vegan clothing. The change has already taken place for fur and leather, which are gradually disappearing from consumption habits in favor of their vegan equivalents. Will it be the same for sheep’s wool?