PETA will award $1 million to the first person or small business to successfully develop a sophisticated animal-free alternative to wool, the animal rights group announced Thursday.
PETA’s competition entrants have until July 28, 2023 to submit a fabric swatch and production plan for their vegan wool substitute. Submitted materials must be bio-based or bioengineered, biodegradable and/or recyclable, demonstrate low pilling and shedding once woven, and have the ability to be produced in multiple weights. Like traditional wool, the material must also absorb moisture, neutralize odors, and retain body temperature, PETA said.
Once a material is approved, its creator will also need to demonstrate its commercial appeal: show the ability to produce it at scale and convince at least one of the top 10 clothing retailers in the world to sell and market the item for marketing purposes. next year.
The challenge comes at a time of growing innovation in the race to replace animal fibers with next-generation materials, with investment more than doubling to nearly $1 billion by 2021, according to the nonprofit Material Impact Initiative. The fashion industry is also locked in an increasingly heated debate over the sustainability credentials of various natural animal fibers versus vegan alternatives, which typically use synthetic fibers derived from fossil fuels. Acrylic and polyester yarns, for example, are commonly used instead of wool to produce knitwear.
Applications for the design challenge opened Thursday, with entry restricted to any individual, group or company with annual revenue of less than $30 million.
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Source: news.google.com