The Vegan Wool Challenge Award promises prize money to the first person or company to develop a material that convincingly resembles sheep’s wool in texture, functionality and appearance and has a major clothing brand invest in the material. Innovative entries are expected. “From flowers and fruit to hemp and soybeans, the options are limitless when it comes to creating animal-free clothing and accessories,” said Peta’s vice president for Europe, Mimi Bekhechi. “Peta is delighted to drive innovation that will help protect animals and stop the environmental destruction caused by animal farming.” The competition comes at a time when new biomaterials – usually made from natural substances without harming the environment – are becoming increasingly popular in fashion. Mycelium, an alternative to fungal cattle hide, is the most successful. It is now used by brands such as Stella McCartney, Ganni and Balenciaga. Investment in the growing industry has reached $2.3bn (£1.94bn) since 2015, according to the non-profit Material Innovation Initiative. There are existing alternatives to vegan wool. Tencel and bamboo can be used, as well as Nullarbor, made from coconut byproducts. In 2019, a team of Colombian university students won a prize for Woocoa, a material similar to coconut and hemp wool. Peta has long campaigned against wool production and the industry’s animal cruelty. A page on her website shows “15 videos that will change your mind about wearing wool”, detailing workers stamping and beating sheep on wool farms in countries including the UK, Australia and the US since 2014. Wool also comes under fire when it comes to the environment. Like cows, sheep release a lot of methane into the atmosphere and require agricultural land. According to the Pulse report, released by the Global Fashion Agenda in 2017, wool was ranked the fourth worst material for the environment, just behind the widely derided cotton. It revealed that synthetic fabrics, including acrylics, polyester, spandex and rayon, were less harmful to the environment. The Higgs Material Sustainability Index ranks wool’s impact at 81 out of 300. Cotton scored 99 and polyester 41. The International Woolen Textile Organization has since disputed this. He says the index doesn’t take into account the fact that consumers tend to wear wool for longer and wash less. Only 5% by weight of the total clothing donated by consumers for recycling and reuse is wool. “Wool is one of the most sustainable fibers known to man,” said Graham Clark, Marketing Director of British Wool. “It’s renewable and biodegradable, so it doesn’t contribute to landfill in the same way as synthetic-based products.” Clark said wool does not contribute microplastics to the oceans and does not need to be cleaned as often as human cloth. “There is no doubt that the fashion industry needs better sustainable solutions, but we must bear in mind that new initiatives such as those that directly or indirectly encourage the use of synthetics do more harm than good,” he said. Subscribe to Fashion Statement Style with substance: smart fashion writing and inspiring shopping galleries – expect expertise and irreverence Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Clark also denied animal cruelty charges. “Hairdressers in the UK are highly trained professionals who perform a vital duty of care,” he said. “Shearing is a painless process and is an essential part of sheep care, as failure to do so can cause discomfort and disease, with painful, dangerous and even fatal consequences. Curing is very much an animal welfare issue.” The wool trade is a large industry, worth $4.72 billion (£3.98 billion) in 2018. While Australia leads the market, the UK’s contribution is significant. According to Statista, the combed wool and fine hair market peaked in 2019 when it was valued at £84 million, falling the following year. Peta stipulates that the winning entry of the Vegan Wool Challenge must be bio-based, biodegradable or recyclable. It also needs to perform like wool in different weights (eg a chunky jumper or a nice pair of socks) and keep wearers warm. According to the competition rules, participants have until July 2023 to submit a fabric sample and production plan. If successful, they will then be encouraged to partner with “at least one of the top 10 apparel retail brands” to produce and sell items from their material in the US by January 2024. Any individual or company with an annual revenue of to bring in $30 million (£25.32).
