Love fur as much as we do? Then we have good news: fur is good for the environment too!
Sustainable material can be defined as those which can be put back into the life cycle of our planet and be digested by the earth without causing any damage, as they derive from the planet itself.
In most cases, garments made of sustainable materials (biodegradable materials) are made from materials that derive from our environment, whether it’s from a vegetal or an animal source (cotton, linen, silk, wool, fur, …). They can also be from human activities such as pastoralism, agriculture and from any kind of crafts. These are fully ethical activities, and they embody great values.
Synthetic materials, on the other hand do not derive from the environment or from positive human work. It's basically plastic. Fake fur for example is made from nylon and polyester. Both substances derives of fossil fuels.
Now that you know that fur is natural, biodegradable, and organic, this immediately makes it an environmentally friendly option. Wild-sourced fur is abundant and renewable and farm-raised furs play an integral role in nourishing other animals, and the environment.
There are many people in the world that still hunt and trap animals to feed their families and make their livings. In some of the world’s wildest and remote environments, selling the fur skins of wild animals helps to create a vital income for some of the world’s most remote and indigenous communities. What’s more, the governments within the countries that host these communities lay out strict rules and quotas about the numbers of animals that can be trapped each year.
Being sustainable doesn't only mean protecting the planet, it also means protecting and helping people keep up with their traditions and way of living and the fur industry contributes to that in many communities.
The lifestyle of hunter is a perfect example of sustainable use of natural and renewable resources: a fundamental conversation principally shared also by the main organizations de dedicated to protecting the environment. This helps to maintain the delicate eco system of the environment, ensuring population numbers of certain animals don't become too high, which would be a risk to both human life and the lives of the other animals living within that eco system. Many people refer to wild fur as "guilt-free fur" because the whole animal is generally used, both as food for the indigenous people who trapped at as well as food the other animals.
Tanneries also must conform and be able not to use chemical substances and respect all the laws, to be reconsidered as eco-friendly and get the respect they deserve.