Conservation X Labs’ $650,000 challenge aims to “harness planetary genius” to create solutions to replace plastic in textiles and textile manufacturing. Each year, Conservation X Labs hosts global competitions awarding cash prizes for the best solutions for specific conservation problems. This year, the Microfiber Innovation Challenge aims to “harness planetary genius” to help halt the devastating impacts of plastic microfiber pollution on our waters and our environment.
Plastic microfiber pollution has infiltrated all of our living systems. Microfiber has been found in the water we drink, the air we breathe, and our food. Different studies have found that more than 83 percent of tap water worldwide is contaminated with microplastics. The humans could be ingesting a credit card’s worth of microplastics each week.
The impact of microfiber pollution is long-term on our health. About 60% of our clothes are made of different synthetic materials, including polyester, acrylic, and nylon, and the clothes shed microplastic fibers into the environment with every wash.
The challenge is powered by the Flotilla Foundation and The Arthur Vining Davis Foundation. A global alliance of partners supports it, including The Biomimicry Institute, Bolt Threads, Canopy, Fashion for Good, Finisterre, Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, Material Innovation Initiative, The Microfibre Consortium, The Ocean Foundation, and Under Armour.
Alex Dehgan, the co-founder of Conservation X Labs, said, “By harnessing planetary genius, we can allow conservation to operate at the pace and on the scale necessary to keep up with, and even get ahead of the planet’s toughest environmental challenges.”
