Say NO to Clothes with a Toxic Trail
Do animal-derived materials pollute the planet?
Have you ever heard the statement that claims that leather, fur, wool, cashmere, and other animal-derived materials pollute the planet?
Well, the nonprofit Global Fashion Agenda and The Boston Consulting Group found that three of the four most environmentally damaging materials are derived from animals. This is one of the main reasons that has led the famous Italian stylist, Elisabetta Franchi, to only produce animal-friendly items. She says, “They are cruel and pollute: this is the reason why I have said no to real furs; I prefer to use innovative and sustainable textiles, with no cruelty .”
But let’s analyze it in depth.
The raising and the following killing of animals for their flesh and skin wastes countless resources and causes immense destruction. Just think to the factory farms in which the animals are raised, the expensive due to the lights to illuminate the building, the food eaten by the animals, and the trucks used to move them from one place to another. Not to talk about the wasted water and food used to feed and raise these animals just to kill them, instead of fighting hungry between poorer people. But this is not all. The waste of leather production also concerns the fact that except for their skins, they are not even eaten. And last but not least, the production of animal-derived leather has more than half the impact on the environment as polyurethane leather.
Cashmere & Wool:
The Pulse of Fashion Industry reported that wool is the fourth-worst material for what concerns the environmental harm since the land has been cleared to make room for sheeps, which has led to increased soil salinity, erosion, and decreased biodiversity. The same argument can be also made for the production of cashmere with the addition that goats have a voracious appetite and will eat plant’s roots along with the rest of it, stopping it from growing. And if you still think that sheeps and goats are not killed to take their wool, you are totally wrong. Probably, you do not know that these animals have little fat on their bodies, and their wool protect them from the cold weather. The cashmere industry shares goats in midwinter, when these animals need their coat more than ever, and, as a consequence, many of these animals die of cold stress.
Fur:
A recent study reported that it’s up to 10 times more harmful to the environment to produce a garment made out of animal fur that it is to produce one made out of faux fur, and the chemicals used to prevent animal flesh from rotting after it’s been turned into a coat or trim are highly toxic and carcinogenic.
If you want to know more about it, check PETA or Greenpeace and don’t miss next week’s Newsletter to know more about eco-sustainable and animal-friendly fashion!