WASHINGTON DC — Five trailblazing innovations have won a total of $525,000 as a part of Conservation X Labs’ Microfiber Innovation Challenge for their ability to reduce or prevent microfiber pollution. The Challenge was funded by the Flotilla Foundation and The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations.
The winners stood out among submissions spanning 19 countries for their solutions to transform our clothing and textiles. The solutions are aiming to prevent or reduce the shedding of microscopic fibers that pollute our air and waterways when fibers break off clothing during everyday wear, the laundry, and disposal.
“These five winners each share a revolutionary potential to protect planetary health and stop the harm from microplastic pollution on ecosystems and human health,” said Dr. Alex Dehgan, CEO & Cofounder of Conservation X Labs (CXL). “These tiny plastics and fibers are found in our drinking water, the food we eat and even the air we breathe. These innovations will play a crucial role in creating sustainable textiles for the future.”
A panel of seven judges made up of representatives from the clothing industry, materials scientists, conservationists, and investors, selected the winners based on criteria that included feasibility, potential for growth, environmental impact, and novelty of their approach.
The winners are:
The judges selected the innovations they felt had a big vision for tackling microfiber pollution, and where the team was well-equipped to make a big difference on a large scale.
"From a venture perspective, we selected winners who are working to mend existing systems,” said Victor Friedberg, one of the judges and Founder and Managing Partner at New Epoch Capital. “In order to transform the sector into one in which sustainable materials in apparel is scaled, and to meet the urgency of now, we are going to need this balance of disrupters and menders to revolutionize the field."
The winners were awarded prizes from a pool of $525,000. They are eligible for additional funding from Conservation X Labs of $25,000 each as they work towards commercialization goals in 2022. They will also be invited to showcase their innovations at a Solutions Fair at the global sportswear brand Under Armour’s headquarters in Baltimore later this year.
“Under Armour is excited to be a partner on Conservation X Labs' Microfiber Innovation Challenge,” said Kyle Blakely, VP Materials and Manufacturing Innovation at Under Armour. “The winning innovations are at the forefront of the field using technology to create next-generation fibers for sportswear and apparel that will allow brands like Under Armour to meet our sustainability goals.”
Scientists are only just beginning to fully understand the massive scale of the impact of microfiber pollution. Around two million tons of microfibers are released into the ocean every year. Microfibers have been detected at the top of Mount Everest as well as in wildlife living in the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the ocean. Microfiber and microplastic pollution in the ocean may disrupt the fertility of marine wildlife.
The health impacts are not yet fully understood; however, scientific studies have shown an association between microfiber inhalation and lung damage in humans. Due to the ubiquity of microplastic pollution, it is estimated we each consume a credit card’s worth of plastic every week.
To learn more about the winning solutions, visit https://microfiberinnovation.org/winners
