Animal activists in the US have launched a Vegan Wool Challenge and awarding $1 million to the first entrant developing vegan wool material superior to sheep’s wool.
Determined to save sheep and incentivise clothing designers, PETA US has launched the Vegan Wool Challenge, which will award US$1 million (approximately AU$1.4 million) to the first entrant who develops 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 stocked in the US.
This opportunity is open to applicants worldwide.
PETA Australia Senior Communications Advisor Emily Rice said the challenge is exciting, because it gives emerging designers the chance to make powerful, positive change for sheep and the environment,”
“Raising and shearing Australia’s 74 million sheep is not only cruel but also terrible for the planet. One way to reduce the nation’s emissions is to move towards warm, cruelty-free, and sustainable plant-based wool.”
PETA has released investigations revealing cruelty to sheep in 117 wool operations worldwide, including14 exposés that found that even on farms marketed as “sustainable” and “responsible”, workers beat, stamped on, cut up, and slit the throats of conscious, struggling sheep.
While many durable, stylish, and warm materials aren’t made from animal-derived materials, the creation of a viable, sustainable vegan wool would further help abate suffering and mitigate the climate catastrophe – as the wool industry produces massive amounts of methane, erodes soil, and contaminates waterways.
Ms Rice said the tide is turning against animal-derived materials, and people – especially young consumers – now object in droves to supporting industries predicated on animal exploitation and slaughter, as a recent study found that 41% of consumers surveyed in Australia and New Zealand want to see more vegan fashion choices.
-PETA