Is vegan fashion a sustainable alternative to conventional animal by-products?
With Veganuary well under way, a growing number of people are adopting a vegan lifestyle. Whilst many associate veganism with a dietary change, other personal choices, such as fashion, are also influenced by veganism.
In response to the growing consumer interest in vegan alternatives, some fashion brands have substituted animal-derived products for cruelty-free substitutes. Leather has been replaced by plastics, or even cork, down feathers in your winter coats have been swapped for nylon and polyester, and even wool is substituted by natural fibre yarns.
Yet, how can the consumer be certain their vegan leather shoes are not as damaging to the environment as their non-vegan alternative?
Not only does raising animals for food and leather require a huge amount of resources, but livestock waste also emits more or less 400 different harmful gases. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that livestock production is responsible for 14.5% of global gas emissions, 9% of global carbon dioxide emissions, 35% to 40% of global methane emissions, and 65% of nitrous oxide emissions. Leather further adds to the equation, accounting for the dispersal of arsenic, a common tannery chemical, which has been associated with lung cancer in workers who are exposed to it on a regular basis.
More often than not, plastic is used as an alternative material to leather. Although no animal cruelty is involved, plastic is still regarded as a terribly polluting material. For instance, polyester is a very popular choice for apparel because it is heat sensitive and highly stain resistant. However, its main component is petroleum. Refining petroleum contributes to air pollution by releasing toxins into the atmosphere that are dangerous for human and ecosystem health. Furthermore, plastic is not compostable, therefore it does not break down well in soil. Microplastic can release harmful chemicals into the surrounding soil, causing a range of potentially harmful effects on the environment. Similarly, nylon, which is often used as a replacement for silk, creates nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that is 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide. The manufacturing of nylon also necessitates large amounts of water and energy.
A recognisable brand currently selling a vegan alternative to their classic boot is Doc Martens. From a welfare perspective, this initiative is highly commendable. However, the company lacks transparency in the material used to replace leather. Their website only goes as far as to say the shoe is made from a ‘synthetic material’ named ‘Cambridge Brush’. How can the consumer be sure the vegan Doc Martens are not made from PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), a material linked to a number of environmental concerns and human health issues?
However, in response to the growing concern around leather or the damaging use of plastic as an alternative material, certain brands have invested large amounts of resources to develop innovative fabrics of minimal environmental impact.
PrimaLoft has developed a 100% recycled biodegradable synthetic fabric made from disused plastic. Up until now, the company has salvaged more than 90 million plastic bottles from landfills and transformed them into premium insulation technologies. Not only is PrimaLoft using recycled plastic, but their material also breaks down when exposed to specific environments, like a landfill or an ocean. However, we have to wait until 2020 for the fabric to be available for consumers.
Another recognisable fashion label at the forefront of sustainable material innovation is Hugo Boss. To mark 2019, the brand launched a range of vegan men’s shoes using a natural fibre material called Pinatex. The material is made from the leaves of the pineapple plant which would otherwise be burned or discarded, and the remaining components of the leaves are used as a natural fertiliser or biofuel. In addition, rather than having to rely on the seasonal harvest of the pineapple as a source of income, the creation of Pinatex offers an annual source of income for the farming community.
There are countless other brands experimenting with sustainable vegan fashion such as PANGAIA, Stella McCartney, LaBante London, to name but a few. If the environmental impact of your clothes is important to you, the responsibility lies with you to conduct preliminary research to ensure the materials used have a minimal impact on the environment.
Published by MODO Magazine