4 minute read
Vegans for fur
FUR.
Elisha Holt looks into the growing battle between faux fur and natural materials as the rise of veganism and the animal rights movement threatens to increase the already damaging plastic pollution affecting the planet.
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As time has progressed, so has human life. Politics, communication, technology and fashion have greatly changed. Humans are no longer the same Neanderthals wandering around in animal skin hunting for their food as and when they need it. Although, it seems as though we may need to reconsider revisiting that lifestyle.
The vegan trend continues to grow. The number of vegans doubled between 2014 and 2016 according to the Vegan Society and a moral understanding of what animals should and shouldn’t be used for has seemingly been agreed upon. Meat-Free Mondays, dairy-free alternatives and faux fur fashion are all the range. But is this trend as good for the environment as it may seem?
As well as the benefits to society that surround veganism, the moral standing of not harming animals for one’s own enjoyment is something that pulls many people in. The sale of animal products in fashion may seem to be in decline and many major brands are turning their backs on fur. Gucci, DKNY, Michael Kors and Hugo Boss have all announced that they will be phasing natural materials such as fur out of their designs. It is clear to see that the moral stance surrounding the use of animal products has become agreed amongst most of the population.
Animal rights activist group PETA is one of the many charities calling for the complete ban of fur imports into Britain. Yvonne Taylor, director of corporate projects at PETA UK, described people that still buy fur as “a tiny minority of people, who cling to a gruesome and archaic notion of glamour”. She also stated that: “Ninety-five per cent of Brits say they would never wear real fur.” This statistic may be represented in the treatment of fur retailers.
Mike Moser, CEO of the British Fur Trade Association, explained how fur retailers have been receiving more and more threats over recent years: “Protests still take place, I’ve had retailers receiving death threats.” He described a scenario in which one of the retailers had to call the police after an antifur protestor walked into her store and made throat-cutting signs towards her, threatening her life.
Despite this, the fur industry is still flourishing, Moser said. Sales of fur and other animal materials in China are on the rise and it is estimated that in 2016 the industry had grown by £162m in five years. It appears the perception that fur is for grandmas has disappeared and the age of fur as a luxury is returning. Fur items for decades were associated with affluence, rarity and treated as heirlooms, an attitude which Moser thinks is returning. Natural materials however, may be about to cause a huge moral split in vegans and vegetarians that are trying to protect the planet.
In recent years scary statistics have been circulating about the state of the planet we live on. Oceans are filling with plastic, CO2 emissions are rising and it is estimated we only have 12 years to make changes before the damage is irreparable. Veganism is a growing trend that is being advocated as a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. It is by definition a lifestyle in which one refrains from consuming any products that come from animals including meat, dairy, natural materials and fish.
It is estimated that 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions come from raising livestock (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN) and it is therefore unsurprising that many people are deciding to switch to a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle. A typical vegetarian or vegan would not wear clothing made from natural materials such as fur, leather or wool and would instead opt for a faux option, which is made from synthetic materials. This is where the problem lies.
Moser discussed the rising debate in the use of natural materials over synthetic materials. In response to the moral call for the use of animal products to be stopped, clothing suppliers began using synthetic materials such as polyester and nylon.
However, there is a very real issue with these materials and the fast, cheap fashion associated with them. A lot of these materials and clothes are made from microfibres, which are tiny pieces of plastic that measure less than half a millimetre and are wreaking havoc on our environment.
The issue with these synthetic materials is that they do not degrade. Natural materials can be remade into something and have a very long shelf life, in comparison to synthetic materials, which often cost much less but last a much shorter time.
Microfibres are not picked up in water treatment and it is therefore highly likely that they are now in our food chain and the effects of this are worrying. Research conducted by the University of California at Santa Barbara found that 1.7g of microfibres were released from a synthetic fleece jack each wash and this could double as the jacket ages.
The microfibres are similar in compound to microbeads (tiny pieces of plastic that used to be in skincare products) — which are banned in the UK, US and Canada. But research suggests they are more prevalent than microbeads.
Suggestions such as the banning of plastic straws, single use cups and cutlery and plastic bottles have all been in order to stop polluting the ocean, after harrowing images of sea-life surrounded by plastic have been shared around social media. However, research suggests that US water may be more primarily polluted with microfibres, which are harmful to humans. Despite this, more and more brands are switching to synthetic materials rather than natural materials which do not cause these same problems.
Morally, it is fair to say wearing fur and leather that has been reared purely for human use doesn’t sit well with a lot of people. Buying faux items that replicate the same design but cause no harm to an innocent animal seems like a win-win scenario, no animals are hurt and the item still looks good. But that is not always the best way to help protect the planet or our environment.
The debate between how much damage the rearing of animals for the creation of natural materials causes, and how this weighs up against the pollution coming from microfibres and synthetic clothing seems an argument that neither side will agree on. Animal activist groups such as PETA want all-natural materials taken from animals to be banned in the UK, but the alternative is a creating detrimental issues for our planet — a planet that is reaching its limit with the irresponsible actions and impacts of the people living on it.
