{"id":69868,"date":"2021-07-30T12:35:47","date_gmt":"2021-07-30T19:35:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thepollinationproject.org\/?p=69868"},"modified":"2021-07-30T12:35:57","modified_gmt":"2021-07-30T19:35:57","slug":"material-innovation-initiative-redefining-sustainable-materials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thepollinationproject.org\/material-innovation-initiative-redefining-sustainable-materials\/","title":{"rendered":"Material Innovation Initiative: Redefining Sustainable Materials"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Each year, over 3.6 billion animals are killed, sheared, or plucked to supply leather, fur, wool, down, and other materials we rely on in several aspects of our lives. The consequences of these materials are dire, both on the planet and the animals they\u2019re sourced from. While many activists have fought against these harmful practices, few have laid the foundation to create meaningful and lasting change.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Stephanie Downs, a highly experienced entrepreneur, and Nicole Rawling, a lawyer with over 13 years of experience in the plant-based food industry, decided that arguing ethics wasn\u2019t enough to save the planet. Combining their skillsets, the two women founded the <\/span>Material Innovation Initiative<\/span><\/a>, the first nonprofit of its kind to connect entrepreneurs and scientists with retailers and consumers to bridge the gap between those creating and those distributing next-gen materials.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n MII received their first seed grant from The Pollination Project, which allowed them to build a website and share their mission with the world. Their growing team is helping pioneer leather alternatives made from mushrooms, fermented flower petals, and mangos; silk alternatives made from orange fibers or algae; and a material made from milkweed that mimics the look and feel of goosedown, among many other exciting innovations.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Although interest in sustainable materials has existed for years, few alternatives exist that are competitive with animal products in terms of price and performance. The Material Innovation Initiative\u2019s goal is to connect the right people to create a solution that is comparable, if not better, to animal products, and build a world where \u201cthe sustainable option is the default one,\u201d and animal products are replaced entirely by plant-based and lab-grown alternatives.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n