Saving Animals or Saving the Planet- Is Real Fur More Environmentally Friendly?

Despite its recent demise in the social sphere, real fur is one of the first types of clothing humans had. As prices rose due to the limitation of fur as a resource, fake furs were introduced in 1929.

It might seem like nobody uses fake fur anymore, but for the first time in more than two decades, more designers were using fur than not in March of 2010.

Early imitation fur was made using alpaca hair, but drastic improvements in textile manufacturing have led to faux furs as we know them today.

Most modern fake furs are made from a blended variety of polymers. Many of these are acrylic polymers that are made from chemicals derived from coal, air, water, petroleum, and limestone.

These polymers are much easier to dye and layer, allowing for cheap warmth and an endless array of colors to choose from.

Polyester, nylon, and rayon are all added to the fibers to each contribute their desired properties until the fibers are pulled through a backing made of cotton, wool, or polypropylene to form them into the type of fabric we would recognize.

There’s an ongoing debate about whether real fur or fake fur is more sustainable, so let me tease apart each side’s argument.

Is real fur more sustainable?

-It’s natural, so it biodegrades.

-It doesn’t shed plastic fibers into the ocean like synthetic fur.

-It doesn’t contribute to landfill waste.

-It involves raising animals to kill them.

-Producing coats with real fur requires multiple animals who each have their own environmental footprints. Consider the water required to grow their feed and sustain them on top of the water and energy that is then needed to clean and manufacture the fur.

-Today, 85% of real fur comes from fur farming, with only 15% coming from wild animals.

Is fake fur more sustainable?

– It has more carcinogens

-It contributes more to global warming than real fur.

-It causes the emission of more greenhouse gases than real fur would.

-The life cycle of a faux fur coat poses four times more risk for potential adverse impacts on ecosystem quality than a natural fur coat.

-More than 15 million tons of textile waste is produced each year in the United States.

In 2015, over 16 million tons of textile waste was generated, and 10.46 million of those tons were sent to landfill.

Fashion is often one of the last changes people make when it comes to sustainability because it’s much less advocated for than fighting the good fight against plastics and food waste, but it’s such a big part of the waste we create.

Regardless of your stance on the fur debate, fast fashion is never the only choice. Try to shop second-hand whenever you can because it makes a big difference in your environmental footprint. It’s also cheaper and you’ll buy less because it’s not as easy as finding exactly what you want on some website and just having to click a button.

Happy sustainable clothing shopping!

S.