People become vegan for a variety of reasons, including health, environmental, and ethical treatment of animals. Many vegans embrace this lifestyle for a combination of all these considerations and, more often than not, argue that veganism is about much more than just dietary habits.
Most vegans do not accept the use of animals in any way, whether for food, clothing, entertainment, or experimentation. Leather, silk and wool fall into the category of using animals to make clothes.
Most vegans argue that there is absolutely no need for this because there are many alternatives to these foods that do not involve harming animals. Also, when you refuse to spend money on leather, silk, and wool products, you are not supporting animal exploitation companies.
Leather is not just a by-product of the beef industry. In fact, the leather industry is a booming industry and many cows are raised just for their skin.
It is not uncommon, for example, for a cow to be skinned while still alive and conscious. After that, the leather must be properly processed before it can be used to make shoes, wallets, and gloves. The chemicals used to treat leather are highly toxic and have a harmful effect on the environment and those who work in leather factories.
Silk is obtained by killing silkworm moth pupae. It would seem that there is a difference between killing large animals and killing insects, but in reality it is not much different. Insects are farmed to kill them and use their body secretions to make scarves, shirts and sheets. The insects themselves inside the cocoon are killed during heat treatment – boiling or steaming. As you can see, using silkworms is not that different from killing other animals that people abuse.
Wool is another product associated with violence. Just as cows are bred for their skin, many sheep are bred only for their wool. Sheep bred specifically for wool have wrinkled skin that produces more wool but also attracts flies and larvae. The procedure used to prevent this problem involves cutting out a piece of skin from the sheep’s back – usually without anesthesia.
The procedure itself can also attract flies and larvae, which often cause fatal infections. Workers who process sheep are usually paid according to the number of sheep sheared per hour, so they have to shear them at a fast pace, and it is not uncommon for ears, tails and skin to suffer in the shearing process.
Obviously, all the procedures that animals undergo in the production of leather, silk and wool can be considered unethical and harmful to the animals that are forced to live in such conditions. Luckily, there are many alternatives to these products, they are made from synthetic materials and look exactly like the natural thing. These products are usually much cheaper.
The best way to know if something is made from animal products is to check the label. Animal-free clothing and accessories can be found in many stores and online. Now we can better understand why many choose not to support products of cruelty and opt for more humane alternatives.