Launched: PETA’s $1 Million Vegan Wool Challenge

For Immediate Release:
November 17, 2022

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

PETA is determined to save sheep and incentivize clothing designers with the launch today of the $1 million Vegan Wool Challenge, which offers a windfall 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.

“From apples and hemp to kombucha tea and cacti, there seems to be no limit to what designers can use to create wonderful, animal-free clothing and accessories,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is delighted to offer innovative minds a big boost that will protect sheep, push fashion forward, and help stop the environmental degradation caused by animal agriculture.”

PETA entities have documented cruelty to sheep in 117 wool operations worldwide, revealed in 14 exposés that found that even on “sustainable” and “responsible” farms, workers beat, stomped on, cut up, and slit the throats of conscious, struggling sheep. While there are many durable, stylish, and warm fabrics available that aren’t made from animal-derived materials, the creation of a viable, sustainable vegan wool could help abate suffering and fight the climate catastrophe—as the wool industry produces massive amounts of methane, erodes soil, and contaminates waterways.

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. A recent survey by Glamour magazine found that approximately 73% of Gen Z identifies as animal rights activists.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to wear”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.