If you are going to wear or decorate your home with materials derived from animals, it's essential to ensure that those materials are eco-consciously sourced.
We use the word "essential", as acknowledge it or not, we are living in the Anthropocene where human activity has created an ecological crisis that threatens our children's and grandchildren's immediate future. The very least we can do is to source materials that don't harm the environment or affect the climate, that support human livelihoods, ensure animal welfare and encourage biodiversity to protect the air, soil and water. Every eco-conscious purchase we make, will make a difference.
When it comes to buying products which contain animal-derived materials, you should be aware of the industry Standards whose intentions are to help reverse the damage we have done to the planet.
One of the world's leading organisations in the materials standards sector are the Textile Exchange (see 1.- 4.) below) - they describe themselves as " a global non-profit driving beneficial impacts on climate and nature across the fashion, textile, and apparel industry. We guide a growing community of brands, manufacturers and farmers towards more purposeful production, right from the start of the supply chain." As part of their offering they have established a set of robust Standards to give the fashion and textile industry a way to authenticate their sustainability claims from raw material to final product, Auditing and certification of the standards is in the hands of third-parties. So here we summarise their standards*:
1. WOOL: one of the key concerns is the practice of live lamb cutting called mulesing where the skin folds around the buttocks are cut to leave a bare area where no wool and no wrinkles grow for flies to lay their eggs in.
Responsible Wool Standard' is a voluntary standard that requires all sites, from wool farms to the seller in the final business-to-business transaction, to be certified. RWS farmers and ranchers are evaluated against animal welfare, land management, and social requirements set in the standard.
The RWS prohibits the practice of mulesing.
2. DOWN: one of the key concerns is the down or feather plucking from birds whilst they are still alive, causing considerable pain and distress.
'Responsible Down Standard' is a voluntary standard that incentivises the down and feather industry to treat ducks and geese more humanely and rewards organisations leading the way. The standard also gives companies and consumers a way to know more about the origin of materials in the products they buy.
The RDS prohibits the removal of live-plucking.
3. ALPACA: One of the key concerns is that although they are native to Peru alpacas are bred worldwide and are sensitive herd animals that can get very distressed whilst being shorn and need to be cared for very carefully.
'Responsible Alpaca Standard' is a voluntary standard that requires all sites, from alpaca farms through to the seller in the final business-to-business transaction, to be certified. RAS farmers and ranchers are evaluated against animal welfare, land management, and social requirements set in the standard.
4. MOHAIR: Firstly let's dispel some confusion: Mohair wool comes from Angora Goats as it's sometimes confused with Angora wool, which is actually derived from Angora rabbits. (we don't promote Angora wool as the rabbits, in our opinion, suffer in captivity and in the fur removal process.) The goats typically come from cold regions and are shorn twice a year. The goat's wool is highly insulating so great for winter clothes such as jumpers and coats. There is concern that when the goats are shorn they are treated roughly and less able to deal with the cold environments.
The Responsible Mohair Standard is a voluntary standard that requires all sites, from farms through to the seller in the final business-to-business transaction, to be certified. RMS farmers and ranchers are evaluated against animal welfare, land management, and social requirements set in the standard.
5. LEATHER: One of the key concerns with the leather industry is in the tanning and preparation processes of the leather. Chemicals such as chromium which is used in the tanning process to make the leather more flexible and versatile is highly toxic and in emerging economy countries poorly disposed of, often into rivers damaging eco systems. Another serious issue is deforestation that is manifested to make way for cattle rearing. Taking the skin of an animal and turning it into a wearable material is in itself a complicated process and all too often the consumer isn't aware of any issues surrounding the industry.
The Leather Working Group** "is a global multi-stakeholder community committed to building a sustainable future with responsible leather. They are a not-for-profit that drives best practices and positive social and environmental change for responsible leather production."
Since 2005, the LWG Leather Manufacturer Audit Standard has assessed the environmental impact of leather production. As an organisation they aim to have a positive impact on the environment, as well as communities, through driving:
- Increased supply chain traceability & transparency
- Increased knowledge & access to data
- Improved resource efficiency in leather production
- Reduced waste generation and emissions to the environment
- Improved chemical management and increased use of non-hazardous chemicals
- Increased due diligence on the issues of deforestation and animal welfare
- Improved working conditions and fair treatment of workers
In order to meet the LWG Standard the manufacturers are audited on the following criteria
- General Facility Details
- Subcontracted Operations
- Social Audit
- Operating Permits
- Production Data
- Incoming Material Traceability
- Outgoing Material Traceability
- Environment Management Systems (EMS)
- Restricted Substances, Compliance, and Chromium VI (CrVI) Management
- Energy Consumption
- Water Usage
- Air & Noise Emissions
- Waste Management
- Effluent Treatment
- Health, Safety, & Emergency Preparedness
- Chemical Management
- Operations Management
If you're a Vegan, leather is prohibited, however if you eat beef then it makes sense to use as much of the animal as you can and that would include it's skin. After all leather is a naturally-derived material but its production needs to be carefully monitored.
6. CASHMERE 1: Cashmere is derived from the undercoat of Cashmere goats. The best quality cashmere comes from Inner Mongolia where the hardy goats have to deal with freezing temperatures. Other well known growing regions include China and Kashmir. The goats are generally sheared in Spring when they are moulting. The key issue around cashmere is the governance of the whole process from herder to manufacturer.
The Sustainable Fibre Alliance*** (SFA) is a non-profit standard holding and membership organisation. They represent a global alliance of supply chain actors, stakeholders and industry experts with a mission to drive positive change in natural fibre value chains. Through their work, the SFA aims to minimise the environmental impact of cashmere and other animal fibres, safeguard livelihoods and improve animal welfare standards. They work with the end-to-end supply chain, connecting livestock herders to brands and retailers in the global fashion industry.
The SFA Animal Fibre Standard lays out the definition of responsible cashmere and natural fibre production, by upholding five global principles, which are that herders:
- Improve the welfare of their fibre producing animals
- Safeguard biodiversity and use land responsibly
- Promote decent work
- Preserve and enhance fibre quality, and
- Operate an effective management system
The SFA is a Community Member of the International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labelling Alliance (ISEAL). The SFA Standards cover:
Producer: The SFA Animal Fibre Standard (above)
Processor: The SFA Clean Fibre Processing Standard
Supply Chain Level: The SFA Chain of Custody Standard
Assurance: The SFA Assurance System (In order to maintain an credible assurance process, the SFA approves a select number of independent Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) to conduct third-party audits for their standard users.)
7. CASHMERE 2: It's important to note that in certain sectors like cashmere production, there may be several organisations promoting sustainable initiatives. So, another standard in the cashmere sector is The Good Cashmere Standard® which an initiative established by philanthropist Dr Michael Otto who set up the Aid by Trade Foundation. It was founded in 2019 with the aim of creating, promoting and implementing a benchmark standard for sustainable cashmere.
The Good Cashmere Standard®**** is built on four pillars that encompass the key aspects of sustainable cashmere production:
- Cashmere goat welfare,
- The environment,
- People
- Management.
The Good Cashmere Standard® can be distinguished from the SFA because it's more focussed on the grass-roots production process. It started by focussing on the cashmere farms of Inner Mongolia, which has a population of around 25 million inhabitants and a total area of 1.18 million square kilometres.
It's China’s leading producer of cashmere, accounting for around 6,600 tonnes of global cashmere (2018), representing 26% of the world’s cashmere production. As livestock farming has increased substantially in recent decades, it has led to widespread degradation of the grasslands that make up 67 % of Inner Mongolia’s land area. This degradation has not only affected cashmere farms, but has also had a significant ecological and environmental impact, such as an increase of desertification and a decrease in biodiversity. The Chinese government has recognised the problem and has responded by introducing goat-grazing bans and extensive reforestation programmes. By encouraging sustainable farming practices and promoting the uptake of sustainably produced cashmere AbTF aim to help herders in Inner Mongolia secure animal welfare and protect the region in which they live and work.
8. 'EXOTIC' SKINS & FUR: Snakes, Lizards, Crocodiles and other reptiles have little protection when it comes to abuse. In the USA for example where there is an Animal Welfare Act, reptiles are excluded. Some Luxury Brands actually own farms that grow reptiles. They're kept in solitary confinement so that their skins remain undamaged. They can live in these cages for 5 years unable to move properly- all this torture purely for their skins. It's no better in the fur industry. The most commonly used furs are from Mink, Foxes, Chinchillas, Lynxes and Raccoon Dogs and 85% of their skins come from fur factory farms.
CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species.
Because the trade in wild animals and plants crosses borders between countries, the effort to regulate it requires international cooperation to safeguard certain species from over-exploitation. CITES was conceived in the spirit of such cooperation. Today, it accords varying degrees of protection to more than 40,000 species of animals and plants, whether they are traded as live specimens, fur coats or dried herbs. There are currently 184 Parties (countries) are signatories to the convention.
In practice, in order to allow trade in 'exotic' skins, furs and finished goods, the traders need permits and/or certificates of compliance under the CITES Convention*****.
In this day and age, the practice of breeding animals for vanity should end immediately, it's completely unnecessary.
Using animals to test for reactions from ingredients, formulations and products is largely out-dated nowadays. Typically rabbits, mice, guinea pigs, rats, and other animals suffer excruciating tests and a lifetime of suffering in testing labs. It could be argued that human life-saving medicine could be tested on animal prior to human introduction if absolutely no chemical or physical alternative testing method is possible. But it is morally and ethically debatable. What isn't debatable is the use of animal testing for cosmetics or personal care. Many brands now claim that they are cruelty-free - it's surprising however to see how some supposedly luxury brands are still not cruelty-free! (searchable database below)
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) believe that animals are not ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment or abuse in any other way,
They certify companies under one of two designations:
It’s completely free to be certified under these categories, and once approved, companies may choose to use PETA’s global “Animal Test–Free” or “Animal Test–Free and Vegan” logos for a one-time $350 licensing fee.
PETA have also established a searchable online database of all those products which are certified PETA SEARCHABLE DATABASE
10. ORGANIC PRACTICES
As we are facing a biodiversity crisis it would be remiss of us not to cover the topic of Organic practices in the fields of food, farming, forestry, textiles, cosmetics and eco-products. Gaining Organic certification means that the products you are buying have been derived using practices which do not harm, or at the very least minimise the effect on the local region to minimise biodiversity damage (animals and vegetation). Think Organic Cotton clothing and Organic cosmetic ingredients,
Ecocert Founded in France in 1991, the company inspects about 70% of the organic food industry in France and about 30% worldwide. It provides certification for 150+ standards in the food, farming, forestry, textiles, cosmetics and eco-products sectors worldwide. These highly respected and well recognised certifications result in better practices and marketplace recognition.
When it comes to organic farming the key principles are:
Ecocert's experts assist companies in the implementation and promotion of their organic strategy across the agriculture, cosmetics and textile sectors through their consulting, training and certification services. They operate in more than 130 countries.
They certify companies products according to the private or organic standards that are best suited to their markets, whether local or imports/exports.
Effectively Ecocert******** is a one-stop shop for sustainable certifications, such as Fair Trade and Corporate Social Responsibility.
* Click here to visit: The Textile Exchange
** Click here to visit: The Leather Working Group
*** Click here to visit: The Sustainable Fibre Alliance
**** Click here to visit: The Good Cashmere Standard
***** Click here to visit: CITES
****** Click Here to Visit PETA Global Animal Test Policy and here for the PETA Searchable Database
******* Click here to visit: Ecocert
(Header Image: ©The National Library of Wales )
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©Ateliers Verts Ltd. 2024
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