Is faux-fur as friendly as you think?

As Donatella Versace becomes yet another designer to denounce the use of authentic fur, animal activists and environmentalists bag another win. Despite this, fur is still visibly fashionable, with bright and bold animal prints shown during the annual Fashion Weeks and also on the high street. Instead of using animal-fur, these designers will be turning to the alternative – synthetics. But is this healthy for our environment?

Ethically, yes. Fur that is not skinned from an animal is of course a good thing. But, what if the materials contained within are not as eco-friendly as you would expect?

According to the Daily Mail, faux-fur garments take up to 1,000 years to fully decompose. Which is worrying, considering that The Guardian reported that the UK sends 300,000 tonnes of clothes to landfill each year. With millions of people buying a new furry piece each season there is going to be a big problem down the line if we keep on throwing away faux-fur when it becomes unfashionable.

The main component in faux-fur is acrylic, which had the worst environmental impact out of nine fibres studied by the European Commission. Acrylic came last in the categories for impact on climate change, resource depletion and human health. Acrylic does not decompose and a lot of it ends up in the sea, which creates a number of problems for our marine life.

However, this is not just faux-fur’s burden. It’s our love for glitter, take-out coffee, cheap clothes and cigarettes. It’s our everyday necessities like shopping bags, water bottles, and food packaging. “There’s a lot more polyester and nylon in landfills than there is faux fur” says Margaret Lozano, founder of ModVegan.

Research about the environmental impacts of these materials have been used by the fur industry to criticise faux-fur, such as FurisGreen.com. A website created by the Fur Council of Canada claims that genuine fur is more ethical and sustainable than going fake because real fur is biodegradable. However, for many people ending the life of innocent animals in the name of fashion is not and will never be ethical.

After thorough research on both fake and genuine materials, Ms Lozano said: “When you take into account the environmental cost of ‘real’ fur, faux fur definitely comes out on top.

“The idea that faux fur is a threat to the environment is a convenient red herring much beloved by the fur industry."

Real or fake, surely to be realistically sustainable we need to amend our consumer habits and actively choose not to buy these materials. Recycle or donate old furry items instead of sending them to landfill sites for eternity, and if you see a beautiful faux-fur jacket you just have to own, make sure it’s one that will serve you a lifetime.