I've been mulling over this leather belt situation..
I bought it before I became vegan and found it in the bottom of my drawer the other day.
My initial thought was, I have to throw it out. After all, one cow, or more, was skinned horrifically to produce that item – something I conveniently glossed over when I bought it many years ago.
I'm vegan now. I shouldn't own animal products, and I certainly shouldn't be wearing them.
Amidst my thoughts about the diabolical leather industry and how entirely unnecessary the pain and suffering is when we have so many alternatives, I began thinking whether or not it would be disrespectful to the animal(s) that suffered in my belt's making to just toss it in the garbage.
If all our old leather goods — mixed with plastics and toxic chemicals — end up in landfill sites, in the ocean somewhere, or in a second or third world dumping ground for western trash, would that really be a better solution?
Wouldn't this action render the animals' lives even more worthless?
And so I got to thinking that perhaps I should take care of the belt for as long as possible: to keep it, respect it and honour it as a symbol of my going vegan and of that animal's precious life.
But then I think no: because when I see people wearing fur coats, it makes me sick to my stomach. It's the same thing.
It stands to reason that any vegan or animal rights activist wearing animal-based clothing would be called out as hypocritical by both vegans and non-vegans.
So, my next though was to considere giving the belt away. I could give it to a charity shop, or someone I know who needs a belt.
But that's problematic too.
If I give someone a leather belt, does it not imply that it's okay to wear leather products?
That person might be so impressed with the belt's quality that they go out and buy more leather products!
In a way, I'd be encouraging the leather industry, wouldn't I?
So it begs the question, what should vegans do with their old leather products?
And what about silk scarves or wool jumpers, and how about creams and makeup that were probably tested on animals?
- Should it all be thrown in the bin?
- Should it be given to charity?
- Should it be given to friends in need?
- Should it be used until worn out?
Is it the case that existing leather products should still be put to good use, while at the same time campaigning against the leather industry and for production to stop?
Leather is a part of our history, and even though we want it to become a part of everyone else's' history too, millions of leather goods will last decades beyond this post I'm writing now.
Does it further insult the animals by tossing their skin into the bin?
Should we honour their memory by using the products until they are no longer usable?
Should we let these products be a reminder of why we need to stop this antiquated, horrific trade?
I am eliminating leather goods from my life, and indeed silk, wool products too. I am also replacing all my toiletries with cruelty-free brands. But it doesn't happen overnight. It is a transition that takes time, and longer for some than others.
One thing is for sure: If we do decide to give a leather product away, we need to make damn sure we educate the person we are giving it to on the horrors of the leather industry.
Otherwise it acts as an indirect endorsement; “I don't want this, but hey, you can have it!”
It shouldn't be a happy, “present-like” interaction.
The giving should be accompanied by showing the person videos of the horrific suffering the leather industry causes, and we should explain exactly why we have stopped buying leather and why they should too.
Perhaps old leather goods don't need to be wasted lives. Perhaps they can serve as educational tools and stark daily reminders of why animals are not for us to wear or exploit in any way.
What do you think?
Easy solution… Just buy a cork belt.
https://amzn.to/3AASfGM
Jul 28, 2021 at 9:33 pm
I think leather is ok if you are a vegan. If they didn’t make the cow skins into leather they would just throw them away. Zero cows died for the purpose of making leather. Every piece of leather came from a cow that was raised for meat. That’s why it lived and that’s why it died. The leather is just a byproduct of that. If all leather were banned tomorrow, the same number of cows would die.
Jan 18, 2021 at 1:19 am
Have a read of this article: https://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/leather-is-more-than-a-by-product-of-the-meat-industry/…I quote: “There is an important economic interdependence between factory farming and the leather trade, and thus farmers do not sell every single part of each animal to minimize waste but instead to maximize revenue and profit. For that reason leather is an animal product much like any other: produced to meet consumer demand while lining the pockets of those within the respective businesses. In actual fact, leather accounts for approximately 10% of the animal’s total value, making it the most valuable part, pound for pound”.
If cows were no longer eaten, you can guarantee they’d still be bred for leather, because some people are obsessed with leather products like bags and shoes and see no wrong in slaughter for items that make their lives more practical and/or fashionable. Moreover, if there’s money to be made, people will make it.
Jan 18, 2021 at 4:05 pm
I read that article. It was interesting but I think it is inaccurate and drastically overstates the revenue that factory farmers obtain from selling cow skins. Check this out:
https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2019-08-18/america-is-obsessed-with-beef-but-it-has-no-use-for-hides-so-leather-prices-plunge
The revenue from leather comes almost entirely from processing it. There are environmental issues with the processing methods but as far as the ethical treatment of animals it has little to no effect.
The price of a raw skin from a cow was as low as $4 last year. Not $4/lb. $4 for the whole skin. Many skins simply end up in a landfill. For perspective the meat from a full-sized cow is worth roughly $4,000. So the monetary value of the skin of a cow is about 0.1% of the animal, and for many cows, the revenue from their skin is simply zero (or negative as they have to pay to dispose of it).
Your assertion that if people quit eating meat cows would be bred for leather is absurd. Maybe some other animals would be bred for their skins, but not cows. It would be egregiously expensive and inefficient to breed cows solely for their skins. It would be prohibitively expensive.
But that’s irrelevant. That isn’t the society we live in now. The society we live in now eats a ton of meat. That is a huge problem. But what is done with the skins of cows after they are killed for their meat, or have stopped producing milk is pretty far down the list of things vegans should be concerned about. Because the argument is essentially should those skins be thrown in the garbage or made into something useful. I don’t think the latter necessarily violates any principles of people whose primary concern is the ethical treatment of animals.
Jan 20, 2021 at 4:02 pm
That’s really interesting. Thank you for sharing that article. It’s pleasing to think the industry would die if people stopped eating meat, but sadly global meat consumption is still on the rise, despite the plant-based revolution. I’ll have to update this article to reflect this information.
Jan 21, 2021 at 10:23 am
I was told by my Father …That Vegetarian .Is NativeAmerican.Word.For a Bad Hunter.!!No offence meant.Hunting was vital for Hungry Nations World Wide to survive!! .A bit different today..We can choose 🤗x
Jun 16, 2023 at 11:22 am
Hypocrite!
Oct 15, 2021 at 5:54 pm
Risking to sound misanthropic (and probably rightfully so)-I appreciate animals much more than humans (someone posted above “humans are the problem,not animals”) – no, I will not be disgusted by the fictional scenario of “what if these things were made from human skin”.
What veganism represents to me is : try your best not to harm any animals/sentient beings (or pay for that).
That being said, I have plenty of leather items from the times when I wasn’t vegan (most of them second hand). I am wearing them because I dont think throwing them will mean doing less harm to animals (the damage has already been done). It will not contribute to anything else, but consumerism/pollution and financial burden (for me). I am not even a bit preoccupied with “but what would others say, since I am a vegan” – I simply say these are old items from the past; and anyway, I do far better than most people who ask this question, smirking, while chewing on the murder in their plate.
Jan 17, 2020 at 10:06 pm
Me, my wife and my children are experimenting with being vegan. This is mainly because of the associated health benefits and to reduce the amount of saturated fats we put in our bodies.
Contrary to what many people think, being vegan is not actually very difficult, does not have to cost lots of money and does not mean you are a stereotypical “hippy”, or a “hipster”, which seems to be term these days.
Food tastes great and there are so any good resources for recipes to substitute meat and dairy products e.g. soya milk for your cup of tea, coconut milk for you coffee, nutritional yeast for making cheese, chickpea water for mayonnaise, and so on.
I think we will actually remain vegan for the foreseeable future, mainly because of the health benefits.
To get to the point of this article, I should mention I make items out of leather. Does this mean I am not entitled to call myself vegan?
Of course you get the big players who are always in it to make a quick buck, pay people to raise cattle for this very purpose and use chrome tanned leather for expediency, which can be extremely harmful to the environment. This I disagree with and I would personally not use any company or product which was unethical.
The same could be said for hemp growers, cotton traders and wholefoods companies. You get your good guys and then you get your bad guys. Underpaid workers, mistreated workers, chemical treatment and non-organic fertilisers. I could go on. The point is, no matter what lifestyle choice you make, there is always someone ready to exploit it and it makes it even worse if they do it in the name of healthier living and animal welfare.
Personally speaking I use vegetable tanned leather. Chrome tanned leather can be produced within a day, but vegetable tanned leather is a much longer process and uses only natural tannins. I also source my leather from a British supplier who primarily sources their leather from the United Kingdom and uses a factory which recycles all of their waste. A lot more ethical I would say. You could go one step further and use oak bark tanned leather, which takes 12 months to produce and uses oak bark from trees in a coppice rotation.
The point remains as to what would abattoirs do with their waste? People are not going to stop eating meat and whilst I disagree with the farming of animals purely for this reason, it is not going to stop. Even if everyone on the planet turned vegan, what would happen to all the animals? Would we just let them go off into the wild, roam the streets and procreate until they die? Then what would we do with the carcasses? Maybe we could bring back rewilding and natural selection could play a part.
It is far more practical and makes sense in terms of environmental impact if we utilise what would be a wasted product. Hides are things of practical beauty and something which has had direct contact with the beating heart during life. They are intricate meshes of millions of miles of collagen fibrils. Properly treated they make beautiful, functional leather and have done for millennia. The right leather is biodegradable and lasts a lifetime if you look after it.
I do not disagree with environmental veganism, however unless everyone stands up, takes action and actually does something about it, nothing will change. For those who do so, I applaud you. For those who just like to talk, you need to demonstrate you have actually done something before you preach to me about it. It is one thing being an activist and another being an ignorant activist.
I think – as vegans – we need to look beyond just the treatment of animals and look at the bigger picture; look at our treatment of the planet. Are you going to stop using plastic because it can only be recycled a finite number of times? Are you going to use an electric vehicle instead of fuelled one? You should read about how they source the materials to make the batteries for electric vehicles. It might convince you otherwise. Are you going to stop living in a house because it is made out of stone, something which takes millions of years to form? You could live in a wooden home instead, but consider the big timber companies and the impact they have. Trees take a long time to grow. Wood sourced from coppice would be better by the way.
I will continue to eat as a vegan, but I will also continue to make (and wear) practical items from beautiful animals who were – unbeknown to them – raised for their meat. Doing otherwise would be doing a disservice to them and to our planet.
May 26, 2019 at 2:22 pm
I think the best is to dig a hole and bury the items and plant a tree on top. This is the most respectful for the animals and the tree can make use of the nutrients. I think continuing the use of the items for environmental reasons has some flaws. One would be that it promotes the fashionability of the materials but I think there is also important consideration of some spiritual effects like putting these materials on the body could effect you spiritually. I feel better without wearing them in anycase.
Mar 05, 2019 at 1:47 pm
Wear what you want. Just don’t preach to me your self righteous BS. You know Native Americans wore leather and recycled everything they used. You do know also that fake leather and stuff like Polyester and Rayon is damaging and polluting to the environment to produce and does not break down and decompose naturally like leather.
Feb 09, 2019 at 7:50 am
Yes, and you do know the Aztecs and Mayans practiced human sacrifice? I’m struggling to see your point here.
Turning skin into leather requires massive amounts of energy and dangerous chemicals, including mineral salts, formaldehyde, coal-tar derivatives, and various oils, dyes, and finishes, some of them cyanide-based. Most leather produced in the U.S. is chrome-tanned, and all wastes containing chromium are considered hazardous by the EPA.
Not to mention that raising animals for food and subsequently leather requires huge amounts of feed, pastureland, water and fossil fuels. Animals on factory farms produce 130 times as much excrement as the entire human population, without the benefit of waste treatment plants. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said that livestock pollution is the greatest threat to our waterways.
Polyester and Rayon actually have a lesser impact than leather. However, I encourage you to wear hemp and other better, more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives.
Feb 14, 2019 at 1:42 pm
I completely agree with this.
Apr 02, 2019 at 3:50 pm
Your belt was made only because the cow was eaten. What people should know is that leather (ALL COW LEATHER) is only and explicitly a by-product of the meat industry. For this reason, leather products have always been categorized differently than exotics and furs. Farmers must dispose of the thick, furry hides, so why not salt them, bundle them up and ship them out to have a second life? In addition, many belts are tanned using veg tanning process – it’s a far cleaner process than any artificial, man-made / synthetic look-alike, and it will last you for years! Please reconsider going belt free or wearing the sustainable, biodegradable by-product of cow leather to keep your pants up. That’s all… just a few thoughts 🙂
Jan 10, 2019 at 1:12 pm
Of the leather from cows, the majority is taken from those who are slaughtered for their meat or from dairy cows no longer producing enough milk to remain profitable. The most “luxurious” (i.e. soft and thin) material, however, is supplied by new-born veal calves and sometimes even unborn calves taken prematurely from their mother’s wombs. So even if people stopped consuming beef or milk, if the demand for luxurious leather remained, the industry would be independent of meat/milk and therefore not a by-product.
Despite most leather being obtained from animals slaughtered for meat or after producing milk, it would be foolish to assume it’s simply a by-product of these industries. There is an important economic interdependence between factory farming and the leather trade, and thus farmers do not sell every single part of each animal to minimize waste but instead to maximize revenue and profit. For that reason leather is an animal product much like any other: produced to meet consumer demand while lining the pockets of those within the respective businesses. In actual fact, leather accounts for approximately 10% of the animal’s total value, making it the most valuable part, pound for pound.
Jan 10, 2019 at 1:30 pm
I’m also new to this and have struggled with what to do with my leather items. I’ve stopped buying leather products, but am reluctant to render the animal’s sacrifice in vain by throwing items away. I like what was said about becoming vegan being a process, being tolerant and not judging others that might just be wearing out leather items not to be replaced too! I really like what was said about if one is confronted about wearing out leather items, it being an opportunity to have a conversation with someone about the choice to be vegan, yet wear items out and then replace them with suitable alternatives. I’m not afraid of being called a hypocrite because I know I’m not, and I’d rather have the conversation than waste the opportunity to tell someone why I’ve made this choice. Who knows? Maybe my telling them what I’ve decided for myself might help them reach more humane conclusions. My biggest concern would center around the intent behind wearing an item… Would I be wearing it for its utility, or because it looks cool. I think that would be somewhat of a mockery of the animal’s life because then it only serves human vanity. That would not set well with me, but if I am being honest, that would be at least part of my motivation for selecting that pair of suede converse all-stars. I think it is going to take me awhile to parse that one… This thread was a great read though! Cheers to you all 😉
Dec 05, 2018 at 3:24 am
You are all barking mad. Yes, I get the concept of not liking cruelty to animals. Yes, I get the point of not wanting to eat animals. I even get the point of not wanting to use animal products derived from slaughter – such as leather…..but not wearing wool is absolutely nonsense and not wearing silk is even worse. What, a vegan cannot wear silk because silkworms were used to make them? Can you not swat a fly, kill a cockroach, step on an ant or spray your house for termites either?
Plants require fertilizer and/or compost, which are animal based, whether made from ground up animals, harvested from animal excrement, or assisted in their creation by worms. So I guess real vegans can’t eat plants.
Is is not also the case then, that:
Real vegans can’t eat bread, because bread requires yeast and yeast is a living organism.
Real vegans can’t drive cars as they generally run on, and are lubricated by, petrochemicals that are made from prehistoric living organisms.
Real vegans probably can’t use any form of electricity as pretty much all of the methods of electricity generation and transmission are harmful to animals.
…or am I mistaken?
Veganism to me is stupid. Human beings are meant to eat meat. Our bodies are designed to process it and it contains nutrients that are not easily available from anywhere else. Vegans are sanctimonious pains in the arse who demand that everyone bows to their beliefs. We don’t all believe the same nonsense as you, but like religious zealots you ram your stupid nonsensical views down our throats – this is why you have no friends other than your fellow vegan nutcases.
Do yourself a favour, keep your leather belts, coats, shoes and furniture. Just quietly choose to eat a meat-free diet and stop your pathetic attempts to change the world. It is never going to happen. Normal people will still eat meat.
Aug 10, 2018 at 4:15 am
You’re either misunderstanding the definition of veganism or being deliberately facetious:
Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.
If you don’t need to exploit animals, harm them, kill them, then don’t. Why do it unnecessarily?
Of course there are circumstances in life where we might need to kill an animal such as if we are under threat or harm. We might accidentally kill insects or rodents to harvest crops. And if we are faced with starvation, we might have to kill a neighbour’s dog for a meal.
But the point is that vegans don’t initiate violence on other sentient beings unnecessarily. We don’t want to be a part of unnecessarily breeding animals for the sole purpose of exploiting them for their flesh, secretions or fur.
Science shows us that animals such as cows, pigs, sheep and dogs feel parallel levels of anxiety, fear and pain to that of humans. They display complex social behaviours and develop emotional bonds with their offspring and others of their kind. Many of their behaviours we are yet to fully understand.
They are fully sentient. Why would we harm them unnecessarily?
It’s pretty simple really. Morally, it’s the right thing to do. Thing is no credible moral opposition.
It’s a choice that benefits the environment, the animals and your health (if you eat a whole foods plant based diet).
Aug 10, 2018 at 8:38 am
Mmmm. Interesting thoughts. Ever read about Shrek the sheep who got lost in New Zealand? 😊
Aug 29, 2018 at 3:40 am
I have, yes. I’ve commented on this issue before. Can you imagine how evil it is to selectively breed a species of animal that is totally dependent on humans to shave its coat? Without human interference the animal becomes immobile and could potentially suffocate. The animal cannot exist in a natural environment as nature intended. I live in hope that we will do the right thing and allow this forced breed to die out, or reverse the breeding interference and let natural selection take its course going forward.
Aug 29, 2018 at 8:49 am
Sheer cognitive dissonance !!!!
Nov 16, 2018 at 11:20 am
Meat-eaters are an inferior breed of Man, whose minds are too limited in intelligence to be able to accesss compassion, you’re so disconnected from the truth and from what is right that it’s too late for people like you.
I hope you keep eating meat throughout your whole life, because you’ll be absorbing death and disease into your bloodstream lol. You’re so uninformed about the world it’s almost hilarious, but not almost as hilarious that you think ‘normal people eat meat’
Normal people like you will eat anything as long it satisfies your hunger, you’ll eat toxic crappiness out of a dog’s ass in the shape of a burger and wolf it down like there’s no tomorrow, you don’t care about your health, well guess what.
KFC, Macdonalds, the Dairy Industry, the Egg industry none of them give a fuck about you, they don’t care if you die from cancer or from any other disease, they just want your money. They’re stacking morgues up with dead bodies but they don’t give a fuck because they’re stacking up the dollars.
Keep being a dumb sheep and see how you’ll go with it, I’m telling you. You won’t reach beyond 50 with good health.
Aug 20, 2018 at 12:09 pm
Mankind has been eating meet since your ancestors were alive and before that. Instead of pieces of paper to rely on to get what we need (money) we traded furs and meat for clothing and other foods and such. You’re stupid to think that eating meat is not normal. I would rather trade furs than have to deal with money. Animals aren’t skinned alive (yes some places they might be but there are people out there trying to find those types of people) but most of farmers or sellers do not harm their animals. If everyone just stopped eating meat and stopped hunting than the world would overpopulate with animals. I mean look at all the hogs that are multiplying by the day. They would over run the world and what would fix that? HUNTING. Everything we do is for a reason. Don’t hate just because you have different beliefs your just as bad a religious freak who tries to push their bullshit religion on to others. You can be vegan and others can be meat eaters. Get over it.
Aug 29, 2018 at 12:57 am
You’re using that weak appeal to tradition fallacy. Read here: https://theplantway.com/appeal-to-tradition/
And in any case, humans have eaten a plant-based diet for over 95% of their existence, and only added cooked meat to their diet in the last 5%. Yet the body still can’t cope with high levels of cholesterol and saturated fat like true omnivores and carnivores do. We haven’t adapted well, and there’s good reason for that.
The scientific data is clear. The more you increase meat and dairy intake in the human diet disease rates of big killers such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes increase. There is a reason the World Health Organisation classified processed meat as a class 1 carcinogen and other meat as a class 2 carcinogen.
There is NOT one study that shows that increasing meat intake and reducing the intake of plant-based foods such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, seeds and nuts improves health. Not one. Why? Because humans thrive best on a whole foods, plant-based diet, and the closer you get to zero meat and dairy the healthier you become; though you can get away with eating under 5% of your calorie intake from organic, lean meat (that’s what we know). But why bother? Considering the ethical implications and the destruction animal agriculture is doing to the planet and the suffering it causes to animals. It’s unnecessary.
The world would not overpopulate with animals. Don’t be so ridiculous. Think about what you are saying. Humans are destroying the environment by selectively and excessively breeding livestock. The world is overpopulated with humans because we are failing to regulate our breeding, even going as far as to artificially breed to increase our numbers. We are the problem, not animals.
Aug 29, 2018 at 9:05 am
You are a compete and total imbecile. Animals are not put on this earth for our disposal. What kind of cold hearted human are you? I cannot stand people who hate on vegans just to hate. Is it because you are unable to be compassionate?
Sep 03, 2018 at 2:55 pm
“yeast is a living organism” haha so are plants it’s not that an organism is living it’s that it has nerves that sense pain. I understand the sentiment of some things need to be killed like invasive species, but the moral standard of veganism is to not contribute to animal suffering as much as reasonably possible. If a bug gets killed while harvesting crops that can’t be helped, but it is very easy to not raise and slaughter animals.
Sep 03, 2018 at 10:18 pm
Many people, when confronted by veganism, feel defensive and angry and want to lash out. If they really pondered the issue and did a little research, watch a few horrific videos, they might realize that veganism is about reducing suffering. Most Americans would vehemently object to any dog suffering the same torture that a pig does but somehow has been socially numbed to that real fact. We just want people to see the reality of how horrendous factory farming had become and maybe make some different choices.
Nov 24, 2018 at 6:21 pm
you are a total arsehole
Jan 25, 2019 at 4:58 pm
And another thing: 🙂
My earlier response reminded me of another wool item that I won’t eliminate after becoming vegan- my Pendleton blankets. Going back to my PNW pride, Pendleton certainly fits in to that identity and as a result we have several wool blankets in our home.
My reason to keep them however is one that I don’t think has been addressed in this thread of comments and that is a cultural one. I am half Tlingit (SE Alaskan Native). My people still practice subsistence whenever they can and still struggle with the society that was placed upon them without their consent. My Pendleton blankets are treasures because they depict the creation story of my people. They reference things that were once second nature but that now need to be learned all over again or forgotten. They are a shallow substitute for the blankets that were once commonly woven by my people. Generations of my family were forcibly removed from their homes to be sent to boarding schools as young children where they were given caucasian names and forced to only speak English and memorize the Bible. I am a member of the first generation that was not compelled in this manner in some way. I can make the decision to not buy any more wool blankets but will not abandon the ones that I already own because they help to keep alive in a very small way what our modern society has worked very hard to remove from my people.
Aug 06, 2018 at 5:12 am
Hey Franklin,
Thanks for sharing your experience with this.
I understand that it doesn’t seem to make much sense to throw away a leather belt only to have to replace it with five PVC ones over the course of a few years. One does have to weigh up the environmental destruction involved. That said, if those belts were recyclable it generally wouldn’t be an issue.
One of the last things that I replaced was my belt. Luckily my mother bought me a new one as a present. She came across a really good quality bell that is stretchy and can be worn with any trousers/pants. It doesn’t need belt holes features slots into the material wherever you need. It is made from polypropylene and elastodiene, a type of stretched fabric.
I’m sure someone will tell me that there are environmental implications for the making of these materials but the idea is to reduce suffering, cruelty and destruction as much as possible and work towards being a better person; a more moral and ethical person and to promote morality that will improve the health of our planet. We can’t make everything perfect in one day, and nothing will ever be 100% perfect and moral. But what we can do is use critical thinking to assess the decisions that we make in everyday life and weigh up the best thing to do.
I also understand where you are coming from with the blankets. I think it is perfectly acceptable to keep those blankets as a reminder of tradition that existed and what it represented at the time. Indeed, museums and other cultural heritage centres keep items from various societies around the world to preserve a record of history. These things can teach us a lot about where we have come from, what was necessary in the past and what isn’t necessary now, why we had to do things the way we did back then and how we have worked overtime to change those things and make our lives better, or worse as the case may be.
The point here is that you are respecting your ancestors and their tradition by holding onto memorabilia that will educate others in the future, but at the same time you are making a statement, saying that we don’t need to kill animals to create blankets and shoes and belts any more like we used to – because we have evolved and advanced better methods that don’t involve doing that.
Let’s be very clear though: while we don’t want to go out hunting and killing animals to make clothing unnecessarily, there was a time when humans had to go out and hunt and select animals to kill to keep themselves warm and alive. That necessity may also exist in part was today. But we should never use someone else’s necessity as an excuse for our luxury.
Moreover, the majority of people are not hunting an animal in the world to do this, they are paying for animals to be incarcerated, fed an unnatural diet and experience suffering and abuse to eat meat and use their skin and fur for accessories that they don’t need. This is about lifestyle choices, not about necessity.
All the best.
Aug 20, 2018 at 6:04 pm
Thanks for writing this post!
I am an new vegan and have been struggling with how to deal with others areas beyond my diet. I’ve switched over to cruelty-free personal care products, letting go of some brands that I really like but that sell in China. I’ve replaced my beloved Nalgene water bottles and went with stainless steel ones.
My biggest ethical struggle has been in my wardrobe. I live in the PNW (Oregon) where it is wet and and or cold for a good portion of the year. I have a wool shirt- jac that I probably wear 4-5 times a week in the fall and winter and I wear Dansko leather clogs because I suffer from sciatica and they help me walk with less pain because of the support they provide (other shoes have not achieved the same results). I have one leather belt that I have worn every day for the past 15 years. My weekend of household vegan-cleansing has been traumatic because I did not know how to navigate around the thought of keeping these items.
Reading this post and the comments has helped me to understand how to be ok to keep these items until their usefulness is over when I would be forced to look for replacements anyway. My extensive research in finding a durable vegan replacement for my belt only created other ethical problems (environmental resources used or polluted by my artificial leather purchase). I also doubt that 1 vegan leather belt would last me the 15 years my current one has- so the alternative is 5-6 man-made or non-durable natural belts to replace the one leather belt that I already own? Nope.
Keeping my 2 leather items and the one wool one are still going to be reminders to me every time I choose to use them and will cause for me both concern as a vegan and motivation to keep making positive decisions moving forward.
And if the process of using these items is not enough, I’ve bought patches that read “Vegan” for me to sew inside the shirt jac and to place inside my clogs and on my belt to serve as a reminder of my choice every time I use that item.
Aug 06, 2018 at 4:27 am
ok so i upgraded from a vegetarian to o a vegan just over a fortnight ago but as far as my leather apparel i had another idea. since im a self proclaimed fashionista i own a lot of luxury brands bags and shoes (as well as other items like clothing and jewellery). And so instead of binning them I decided to put them up on an ebay auction and donate the profits to an institution that helps with the cause (like PETA or something like that, i havent decided yet). I think my idea is quite good. do you agree?
Jul 15, 2018 at 5:55 pm
Excellent idea, Anna. I think I will do the same. Thanks for sharing.
Jul 15, 2018 at 11:20 pm
That’s a good idea. Raising money for an organisation to help animals goes some way in righting the wrong. I have phased out the majority of my leather good now by donating them to charity shops and replacing with non-leather goods.
One objection I have heard to this idea and to donating to charity shops, etc, which I highlighted in the post, is that the goods will still be in circulation. So people will be using these products, and when others see people using these products it suggests that it is okay to buy leather goods.
That said, the leather industry( arguably) wouldn’t exist without the animal agriculture industry – so if you get rid of the slaughter the leather should disappear anyway.
Jul 16, 2018 at 9:23 am
i think we should go one step at a time. Just because some people decide to abandon leather and other animal derived fabrics doesn’t necessarily mean everyone else will automatically adhere. Besides if you wear good quality faux leather people won’t see the difference anyway. Unless you advertise it in an intrusive manner which can have the reverse effect.
Jul 16, 2018 at 10:04 am
I am going through the same thing about the leather coats, shoes, belts, purses, and furniture that I purchased before becoming vegan. I too think that is is not appropriate to throw them away or donate them. I decided to keep them to respect and honor the animals that had to give their lives to clothe me and furnish my home. I DO NOT buy any animal products once becoming vegan. I feel that I am a strict vegan and sometimes worry what my friends, family and co-workers are thinking when they see me in my old leather jacket. I’m thinking that maybe I should keep them (out of respect to the animal that gave its live), but not wear them any more. This is a tough one…still haven’t figured this one out.
May 23, 2018 at 5:12 pm
I accidentally purchased a leather belt thinking it was artificial leather. I know…. duhhhhh. Anyway, I wore it for a bit and realized it was leather and didn’t have the receipt anymore. Couldn’t take it back. So, I call it my mantra belt now. Whenever I see it .. I make it a reminder to me to give to advocacy groups that help fight the meat industry. I’m going to honor the sacrifice of this precious creature and not throw it into the garbage. I want it to be my daily reminder that makes me slightly uncomfortable. A reminder that spurns me into action and to remember why I do all of this in the first place.
Apr 04, 2018 at 3:01 pm
Why do you keep on about animals being killed for the leather that can be made from their hides?
Do you seriously think it’s an economic proposition for bovine animals to be raised to maturity and then killed just for their skin?
Leather (bovine, at least) is a by-product of the beef industry.
If the hides weren’t tanned & turned into leather they would have to be put into landfill.
If meat-eating ever ceases then so will leather production but until then, it makes sense to make use of every part of the dead animal.
Thankfully the world is waking up to the need to stop using plastics for everything. The oceans and landfill sites are full of it. We need to return to natural, biodegradable materials wherever possible.
Feb 01, 2018 at 12:30 pm
There is no such thing as living a ‘Vegan’ lifestyle and I really get fed-up with listening to all the ‘beautiful’ people banging on about it. IF you are reading this, it is because you are using a computer and looking at a computer screen. Check it out, fish were used in the production of computer screens. But wait it goes much further than this, mobile phone screens, tv screens, car and bike tyres, steering wheels, paint, the list goes on and on. Mention this to the so-called ‘Vegans’ and they shut up because they wouldn’t dare give up their little comforts. There is nothing wrong with adopting a ‘Plant-based-diet’ and there is nothing wrong in trying to live a life-style of animal-free products, just get off the band-wagon about knocking people who use items such as leather etc. When, and only when you give up your car/ bike and start walking everywhere, throw away your precious mobile, tablet computer and tv and strip the paint from every wall in the house then you are on the way to living a ‘Vegan’ lifestyle. Until such time you are someone who is on a plant-based-diet and tries not to use animal products of clothing. And if more people were to adopt this attitude, I’m sure that more people would consider changing to veganism. As for me I am 99% vegitarian and am sure that I will give up meat entirely sometime year, I may, in the future even adopt a plant-base-diet, but one thing is for sure, I will never be a hypopcrite and call myself a vegan!
Jan 08, 2018 at 6:51 pm
Hi Raymond, I think you’re misunderstanding what being vegan means:
Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.
So the key word here is ‘seek’. No vegan is under the illusion that zero suffering is a possibility, but the idea is to work towards an increasingly cruelty-free society. Since this definition was first created by Leslie J Cross, considerable progress has been made, particularly in reducing the testing of cosmetic products on animals and fur production (more big brands announced they have gone fur-free in the past year).
Massive changes don’t happen overnight, and of course all of us come into contact and use non-vegan products every day – many of the products we don’t even realise aren’t vegan. it is unavoidable, since our society has historically used animal byproducts for so many everyday items, as you pointed out.
However, science and technology is evolving every day to enable us to produce alternative methods in each of these areas, and therefore reduce cruelty and suffering. This is vegansim. It’s a work in progress. It’s working towards a better world: for the animals, for the environment, for ourselves.
As I point out in my “leather” post (https://theplantway.com/vegan-wearing-leather-belt/), not all people can afford to get rid of leather, silk or other products and replace them immediately. Sofas, jackets, boots, cars – these things are huge expenses for some. So a person might go vegan but it might be years before they are able to afford to replace those items. I would not call a person hypocritical for this, at least not without first understanding their financial situation. For example: I know a single mum who is on a tight budget; it has taken her a year or more to finally replace her leather boots for non-leather alternative. But she always had the intention and now she has done it.
Choosing to point out unavoidable hypocrisy rather than commending people for making a positive change in the world is short-sighted. I admire you for making the changes that you are and I’m happy that you are making this contribution to progression and a better place to live for future generations. Let’s do this together instead of picking holes in each other.
Jan 10, 2018 at 5:17 am
So you’ve to the conclusion that Veganism is a arbitrary moral baseline because a more ethical life is possible in the forest somewhere without technology? To say that someone needs to live in a hut to object to animal murder but that everyone should object to human murder makes no sense. Would you accept the argument that you need to move to the forests of Siberia to legitimize your criticism of isis .. ? Of course not. The commitment of an ethical person is not to some kind of dogmatic attempt to not cause harm, harm is inevitable, the issue is unjustified harm. There is a world of difference between murder and unintentional harm. Killing a sentient being intentionally is murder, killing a sentient being unintentionally is an accident. That is why our courts grade killing on a spectrum from pre meditated murder to manslaughter to truly accidenal killing. For example, so long as we allow people to drive cars each year there will a certain amount of humans who die in car acccidents. Are those deaths murders and are car drivers evil ..? No. Unless you intentionally murder someone with your car or your driving like an idiot it’s considered an accident. The same is true of industrial production.. no part of the design specs for a MacBook or cellphone say murder small animals with transport while delivering product to store .. this is just an unfortunate consequence of production. To equate a policy of eternal, global genocide with unintentional deaths caused by goods production is as baseless as equating the Rwandan genocide with Chernobyl disaster.. one is pure evil, the other is an unitententional and unavoidable consequence of something we are just to desire. Are we really to believe that owning anything aside from the necessities for survival is immoral? Vegans are saying “don’t murder sentient beings” and non vegans are responding by offering up a false dichotomy between murderimg animals with no concern or oppressing yourself with a totalitarian ideology that wont allow you to shave or own a computer.. Cleary there is a huge ethical difference between murder and unintentional deaths during production and distribution of goods. Do you own any electronics.? Tv, amplifier, lights, microwave ? Well .. I hate to inform you but you now can not critizise Jeffery Dahmer without hypocrisy because you are equally immoral.. of course this is false because death is not an necessary ingredient for any of these products. To call it murder to buy a computer is retarded. Clearly owning something that causes suffering doesn’t make you a hypocrite to criticize murder.. participating in deliberate murder makes you a hypocrite to criticize murder…
Feb 03, 2018 at 3:13 am
Not trying to argue with anyone, but let me make this strong consideration.
I often hear vegans compare animal suffering to people’s suffering. We kill them because we like their taste, and that’s obviously wrong. We would never justify the same treatment against human beings.
Okay. So what if instead of animals, it was normal to kill humans of a certain race for their skin. One day you become vegan because you understood that we are all people, no matter the race, but you still have all these items made with the skin of people. A wallet you are very attached to that you used for years, made from the skin of a 6 year old boy. A very nice bag from the dead body of a woman, murdered after she stopped providing milk. A pretty bracelet made from the scalp of a 3 year old girl.
My question is: would you still use those things? I honestly don’t think so. You are vegan now, if you really opened your eyes you don’t see a wallet, a bag and a bracelet anymore. You see a dead boy, a dead woman and a dead girl. The mere thought of using the remains of those poor people would fill you with utter disgust. You’d probably burn everything, or bury everything and let their remains rest in peace.
But when it comes to animals, it looks like even vegans can’t see this little truth. They happily keep using dead animals that were murdered against their will and transformed into horrible objects of death. And their reasons? “It’s a shame to throw them away, I’m not harming animals because I already owned them, but they are comfortable, I want to honor the cow from which this belt was made, etc.”.
Yes, maybe, but you wouldn’t use any of those items if they were dead people. You wouldn’t even want them in your house. I’m just using your arguments here. You wouldn’t do this to a person, why are you doing this to animals then?
Sep 27, 2017 at 9:21 pm
I take your point, but there are a number of considerations.
Going vegan is a transition that affects every area of your life, and for some the total transition takes longer than for others.
In my case, I went through a transition that required me to unravel 30 odd years of total indoctrination by the education and health system. It took me years of independent research, critical thinking and analysis, personal battles and all the rest of it that comes with going against the system/status quo and speaking out against lies and systematic cruelty that is embedded throughout society.
It is not an easy process to go through. It takes time.
In addition to our activism, many of us have families to support. Many of us live in countries where rents/property is hugely expensive, as is food, running a car, nursery fees and all the rest of it. Which means that the leather sofa, or the car with leather seats, can’t just be tossed out because there are no available funds to finance replacing such big purchases.
For many people, replacing belts, boots, coats, etc are big expenses too. So it takes time.
The large majority of vegans do want to eliminate all animal products in their lives, but it doesn’t usually happen over night.
I no longer have any leather belts, gloves, boots or any other clothing. I have replaced all toiletries with cruelty free ones. But I know very low paid vegan workers who are struggling and simply can’t afford to replace trainers, boots, belts, bags, a sofa, perfumes and the rest of it in one go.
There is also the issue of consumption and how that affects the environment. The large majority of vegans are also concerned with this issue. Our consumer-driven “throw away” society is causing huge damage to the environment and the animals that live within it. So what’s worse: keeping and using some old leather goods until they wear out, or chucking it all away into landfill sites.
Also consider that going vegan means that from that point in you are endeavoring to reduce the suffering and harm you do to animals, be it directly or indirectly. So owning an old leather good is a symbol of that harm from a past era, but is no longer harming or causing suffering.
Being vegan is not a quest for perfection. It is a moral stance against unnecessary cruelty and suffering. Why spend time pointing the finger at a vegan who still owns a leather belt while McDonalds are opening another branch of evil in the local town centre. This debate is just a convenient diversion from the real issues.
Sep 28, 2017 at 10:56 am
I appreciate everyone’s input and opinion here. I too have gone through what’s left of my pre vegan life.
Another thing I struggle with I came across several fairly recent photos of Moby wearing Adidas shoes that I know are not vegan or vegan friendly as they are leather at least what we have access to in the states. He claims to have been a vegan since 87. Those shoes are not pre 87. So me noticing me the shoes and commenting has garnered me some back lash from others. I look up to him as a trail blazer and being authentic but it seems there are hypocrites on every social level
Nov 15, 2017 at 5:45 pm
Adidas do sell non leather trainers, but I’ve no idea if the ones you saw him wearing are.
Nov 15, 2017 at 6:10 pm
To me, renouncing clothing that contains animal products is a much bigger hurdle than eating vegan. I’m vegan since 6 weeks (was a vegetarian several years before) and it’s really easy, I don’t mind not to eat dairy, eggs and honey if it’s the ethical thing to do. But when it comes to stylish men’s fashion and I’m really eager to make my argument equivalent to “But bacon!”. Since I hate that argument I am fully aware that I have to accept not to buy any leather or wool in the future – which is made more difficult for my selfish ego since most vegan clothes looks – no offence to anyone – extremely lame and unstylish (I’m more into suits and a classical men’s wardrobe than t-shirt and sneakers)… I just hope I will find plant based alternatives or I will have to make such clothes myself (which will never happen probably).
Sep 26, 2017 at 12:46 pm
Leather is an age old practice that has been around thousands of years since man first caught a beast, fed his family and used it’s skin for clothes in the winter. It’s natural. Do you think if humans had been vegans back then we’d still be around now? Nope. Exactly
Sep 01, 2017 at 1:59 pm
Dose of reality is an apt name….
We needed to use animal skins back then for clothing to survive during winter and for other practical uses.
Our ancestors were taking skins from either 1. hunting, 2, animals that had died a natural death, or 3, from animals that had been killed by other animals. They weren’t systematically breeding animals in unnatural conditions, confining them to small spaces, mistreating them and then slaughtering them for no good reason. Do you think if they had access to other materials that could do the job of leather (and even better in many cases) that they would have wasted energy hunting? Hunting was a serious risk to survival for our ancestors.
And that is the point here, we have used our evolved brains to create technology capable of producing materials that mean we don’t have to engage in violent, unnecessary activities.
We don’t need leather anymore. We don’t need to breed and imprison animals, feed them unnatural food sources and copious amounts of drugs and antibiotics so they don’t become diseased due to living in such an unnatural environment – just so we can wear leather shoes. It’s totally unnecessary. Why cause pain and suffering if you don’t have to?
The “we used to do that” argument is a moot one. Our ancestors would have regularly forced themselves upon women when they wanted to have sex, and slept with girls of 9 years old, or younger. Should we still be doing that? Does that make it okay?
What we used to do doesn’t by default make it acceptable now. And anyway, the practice isn’t even the same now. We aren’t even killing animals like they did. It’s worse. It’s more horrific. It causes so much more suffering.
Sep 01, 2017 at 2:26 pm
I read this page because a friend of mine pledges to become vegan. I know nothing about it myself but I had never thought that owning a cat would not be considered vegan practice. I thought that individuals could consider themselves vegan on their own without dependents like cats. This in mind, he is the breadwinner of his family and therefore feeds his wife and kids. If he feeds them meat and buys them leather, is he no longer considered vegan?
Aug 30, 2017 at 3:50 am
I think it’s a difficult situation when you are a vegan but the rest of your family aren’t. If he is the breadwinner and they all eat meat and want to continue doing so then what can he do?. You can’t go vegan overnight and expect your family to do the same. It would have to be a gradual process.
You are correct: most vegans do not agree with pet ownership for a number of reasons, but primarily because it involves unnecessarily killing one animal to feed another, just so the owner can keep it as a pet. It is also seen as exploitation on a number of levels. I plan to write about that soon!
Aug 31, 2017 at 8:53 pm
Great article! Thanks for sharing. Your points have really resonated with me and my situation. I am a fashion stylist and blogger and I changed over to supporting only cruelty-free and ethical brands over two years ago. I don’t own many leather goods because fortunately I have never found leather shoes very comfortable, but I do own a couple of designer leather handbags. Since converting to ethical fashion I have on numerous occasions considered whether or not I should keep, throw or donate my leather goods but then I would be:
1) Supporting the leather industry by providing others with leather goods
2) I only own a couple of handbags which are leather, designer and incredible quality so I would have to go out and buy new bags to replace my leather ones, which may not last as well as the bags I currently own – which doesn’t sit well with my sustainable fashion values either.
I have added a disclaimer to my blog to say that any unethical and non cruelty-free items featured on my social media and blog were bought before 2015 when I changed to supporting cruelty-free, ethical fashion.
https://onlinepersonalstylist.com/
Aug 17, 2017 at 7:37 am
Great article.
Yet, if you choose to give the belt away to a friend, regardless of whether they are in need or not, it isn’t your job to educate them on the horrors of the leather industry. You are the one who chose to become a vegan, not your friend or the person/institution to whom you are donating your belt or other leather items.
This isn’t about judging or educating another, in this day and age, everyone has heard about the horrors of the meat/leather industry but many of us, myself included, continue to consume animal products/byproducts. I personally don’t eat beef or pork, but I’ll be damned if I give up cheese and honey.
This need to educate others constantly is the fine line where vegans always seem to cross and come off as very judgmental and aggressive. Just give the belt in peace and love and keep it moving. The generous act of giving the belt away is statement enough.
If your friend or someone asks why you are giving such a rad belt away, you can simply say, “I’m a vegan and this belt no longer serves me. I’d like to honor the cow from which this belt was made that is why I am giving it to you. Because, I know you will take care of it and enjoy it.”
Ciao.
Jul 11, 2017 at 5:37 am
I see your point, but only in that there are positive and negative ways to engage in conversation and pass on knowledge.
I don’t preach to people, but if someone is causing unnecessary suffering and doesn’t know about it or realise to what extent, then should I not inform them?
If my neighbour has his dog tied up the yard for 16 hours a day, should I not question what he is doing and attempt to educate him on better dog ownership, or should I let the dog suffer both mentally and physically?
If a clothing brand is exposed for using child slave labour to make t-shirts and my friend is wearing one of their t-shirts, should I not educate my friend on this matter? Or should I let my friend continue to support the exploitation of children?
The idea that it’s okay to be vegan but “keep the horror stories to yourself” is surely just about self-preservation, about separating ones actions from the cause (I don’t hurt animals but someone does on my behalf – and I don’t want to hear about it).
People don’t want to face the reality of animal cruelty. They don’t want to believe or admit that they are part of it. It is very personal and uncomfortable. It is a sensitive subject because it calls our moral compass into question and forces us to stop and take stock of our actions. I know this. Because for years I referred to myself as an animal lover, turning a blind eye and avoiding the truth about my actions as best I could. But could I say I loved children and then abuse them? Could I say I loved my wife and then beat her?
The absolute truth is that we do not need to cause the suffering. We do not need leather belts or handbags, or to eat meat or dairy. It is a choice: satisfy a fashion or food craving that is a product of great unnecessary suffering , or opt for a cruelty-free alternative.
Jul 12, 2017 at 8:55 am
I completely agree with you here with the way that people support cruelty and unethical fashion etc. without actually knowing it! If you look at some of the cruelty-free statuses on cosmetic and fashion websites, they are very sly with the way in which they word their statuses. “We only test on animals when the law requires it” – making it sound as though they do it with a gun pointing at their head. This is a very unfair way of tricking the general public into buying items that have a very different history to the one being portrayed by the brand. A little knowledge goes a long way! It’s difficult to imagine how an attractive, well presented item that you see in a store can have such a horrific background but it’s true. Once I learned more about what really went on, I changed to being vegetarian (although most of the time I eat vegan) and I now support only cruelty-free and ethical brands both in my personal life and for work.
Aug 17, 2017 at 7:53 am
Thank you for your post. I’ve thinking about this for a really long time.
I have a good warm wintercoat, but it’s made of dawn. I bought it before I went vegan, but I can’t afford it to throw it away and buy a new one. So for me maybe it’s the best decision to wear it with respect, and next time buy a vegan one.
I would say that none of us should judge by the first sight. Even if you are wearing the leather belt, you have your own story behind it.
Jun 03, 2017 at 9:09 am
I certainly wouldn’t judge you for this and no one else should. As you say, you can’t afford to throw it away and, when you do eventually buy a new coat, you will buy a vegan one. Before judging, we have to consider the expense. Most people can’t afford to immediately replace leather sofas or chairs, replace duvets, pillows or coats with down in, or replace leather work shoes, etc. Items generally need to be phased out over time. Moreover, rushing out and simply buying more stuff is not an environmentally conscious way to live. To protect the environment, we should be consuming less and using what we have for longer.
Jun 05, 2017 at 10:09 am
You could look at it that way, and I like the idea of a funeral to pay respects to the animal. I don’t wear any leather items now; I replaced them one by one. But we have to consider that some people can’t afford to replace certain leather goods, like a sofa, or car seats, so what is the answer to the things people are forced to keep through financial restraints?
Jan 26, 2017 at 10:11 am
Look I am now vegetarian but was wearing leather before I gave up eating meat. I am not going to be made to feel guilty about leather still being part of my lifestyle. I actually continue to wear leather. Lots of leather is still a part of my wardrobe. I cannot afford to give these items up. So I will continue to wear them without too much naval gazing as to whether I am being ethical. I will continue to wear the leather jackets and coats and ENJOY wearing them as great fashion statements. They were part of my personality before becoming a vegetarian and they will remain so for a long time.
Dec 06, 2016 at 2:44 am
This is one of the best posts I’ve read and I’ve been looking through vegan forums for a while. I turned vegan over a year ago after my dad died of diabetes, so for me it was fundamentally a health issue. But recently I’ve been reading into the ethical side and in the last week or so Ive been watching you tube videos on certain countries manufacturing of leather hides and its made me feel sick and also guilty for having so many leather items, in total I have around 20 items varying from shoes, bags, a pair of gloves, purses and jackets. To be honest a lot of the items I hadn’t worn in a long time. But I still make use of my leather shoes for the simple reason that I see them as more of a necessity because they are comfortable and durable. I figured I don’t need all the items I have so I decided to round up the items that are made in countries with bad animal right ethos, and sell them. I am not opposed to wearing leather but as of two weeks ago I am opposed to buying new leather. I do agree that the leather trade should stop and reused leather should be reworked, its logical and ethical. I don’t agree with some vegans shunning other vegans for wearing leather, because as this post so eloquently points out its far more ethical to use reused leather then produce synthetic items. There are animal testing and produce in so many things these days 1e: processed sugar, plastic bags, condoms, cigarette testing. I’m sure not all vegans bother to research or boycott these products. Also how about sweat shops producing these non fair-trade synthetic clothing and footwear there is also human rights too. All we can do is try and educate ourselves and be fair to all the living and not waste the resources we already have.
Sep 16, 2016 at 9:41 am
I was having this exact conversation with a vegan friend of mine last week, Sarah. He has been wearing the same leather work shoes for about 7 years and was called out on it by some non-vegans. So he is looking for a vegan pair, without much luck to date. He explained that he would never buy leather again, but has been reluctant to just toss them out because he’d rather either wear them through or give them away. But if he gives them away he said people will give him stick for encouraging others to wear leather. You make a good point re the ethics of other products, most people have no idea just how many products are non-vegan; every bit of a slaughtered animal is used up across multiple industries. So no, like you, I don’t believe we should just round up every leather product and every other non vegan product and burn it all. That wouldn’t be ethical in that it would cause a huge amount of pollution. What we should be doing is spending time promoting awareness to stop the use of animals flesh and bone in products going forward, and, as you say, also expose the human rights abuses of those who make vegan and non vegan products in factories around the world. In a nutshell, if a vegan wants to use a non-vegan product until it wears out, I don’t think we should berate them for doing so, since their intention is to stop using animal products and advocate a vegan lifestyle.
Sep 21, 2016 at 9:22 am
Would it be considered ethical to make your own leather from road kill?
Sep 01, 2016 at 2:02 pm
Would it be considered ethical to make goods from dead human skin, like those killed in war or road accidents? Would a person be okay with someone skinning their pet dog after death to make a jacket, pair of shoes or accessory? Some people might think so because there is an argument that dead matter will be used in one way or another by Mother Nature. Others would consider it wrong if there was an emotional attachment to the animal, which, as we know, is not something Mother Nature would consider. If you remove emotion, and you separate the “soul” from the vehicle it travelled through this world in (the body), then there’s a strong debate for using road kill. On the other hand, vegans would argue that such a practice degrades animals and encourages the attitude that animals lives and bodies are less valuable than humans, and that this would naturally progress to animals being killed prematurely to fulfill demand, which is exactly how the leather trade became what it is today — a big, ugly industry based on ripping the skin off of defenseless animals. The only way this would be a consideration was if the leather trade ceased to exist and only road kill and animals that died of natural causes were used to make goods, AND if humans were also used in the same way.
Sep 02, 2016 at 8:39 am
Peter & others! It doesnt matter where you were coming from (thats history forever). Only as long as you knew well. And would not retreat or get lost or be succumb to pressure and be misled on your way.
Whichever way shall you go must fulfil your sole intent and take you home to your soul satisfaction. In this context, I wholeheartedly appreciate all you those and your strong commitments of each and every vegan here.
That is hoping you are still in this course, after so many months (sorry for the belated feedback)
jUST A SILLY QUESTION ! How do one stand innnocent on using of proven medicines that must have been outcome of millions of trials on poor animals ?
Dec 04, 2016 at 8:13 pm
I absolutely agree. The silliest comment I get is “but you used to eat meat so how come you’re saying this now?” The answer is in the question! I managed to free myself from the indoctrination, the lies, the suppression of truth, the carnism. I encourage others to do the same.
In answer to your question: This is perhaps the one grey area of animal rights vs. human prosperity. If an animal needs to suffer to find a cure for a child’s illness, what ethical stance does a vegan take? This topic certainly deserves a post of its own.
Dec 07, 2016 at 10:55 am
I have this same issue. I am trying to “wear out” my leather shoes, but there are still a fair few pieces of wool in my wardrobe.
Another thing though, I actually (gasp!) still buy the occasional wool or silk item. This is because I only shop in second hand shops for environmental reasons. If I were to limit myself to only cotton and linen in a charity shop, I would be setting myself up for failure. I still prefer the natural fiber garments, but if there is a garment that fits well and I really like, I am going to buy it. I believe that the “blood price” for that garment has already been paid and, as the author of this post remarks as well, it seems better to use it rather than tossing it and creating more landfill and demanding more resources for producing new garments. Not to mention the abhorrent working conditions that have been exposed for most “high street” labels.
Maybe when I’m rich I can afford to buy only quality organic, fairtrade, natural fiber garments that will last me a lifetime, but as per today, I certainly cannot.
Mar 30, 2016 at 10:07 am
I, too, have a leather belt that I’ve had for years! I couldn’t figure out what to do with it after I went vegan, and my mind is still very conflicted. Thank you for sharing your story.
Mar 14, 2016 at 4:44 am
Glad you found this post Jasmine. Hopefully some of the replies here will help you find a solution and make peace with this conflict.
Mar 14, 2016 at 1:20 pm
Ew. I can’t understand why anyone would keep a leather belt if they don’t need it. And someone who finds an item in a drawer clearly doesn’t need it.
Mar 07, 2016 at 11:39 am
But if you throw the belt away that’s an even bigger insult to the animal’s life. And if you go and buy another it’s an unnecessary material consumption, because you already have a belt.
Mar 14, 2016 at 1:22 pm
I don’t think that using the belt is respecting the animal. The animal doesn’t care: she or he is dead. Unless I had financial problems, I would give the belt to a (non-vivisection) charity shop and buy a vegan belt.
Mar 14, 2016 at 8:20 pm
But then someone else would buy the belt, and that perpetuates the belief that it’s okay to buy and wear leather. For example, I have friends I could have given the belt to, but then it’s like I’m saying, “It’s okay for you to wear the belt but not me”. I’m not saying I am right or other people are wrong on this; only that it is a moral dilemma in many ways. Some vegans I have spoken to threw all their old leather goods in the bin, others still have some and are wearing them out, others gave them to charity shops. when I approached this situation, as I described in the post, each option had its downside.
Mar 15, 2016 at 3:15 am
But by giving the belt away to a charity shop, you are ensuring that a non-vegan doesn’t buy a new leather belt.
Mar 15, 2016 at 9:55 am
Ah, that is very true. Although I’m sure they’ll buy another if they see one they like 🙂
Mar 16, 2016 at 3:45 am
I have been vegan for a while and have leather shoes that I have had for 8 years. I continue to wear them since they are comfortable and they are for work. I call myself vegan due to the fact that I am not buying any leather products or silk or wool. I am recycling all the stuff and do not want to throw them away which is a waste. On the subject of dogs and cats, I have tried three times to have my pets to go vegan and they have been sick each time even though I have tried different brands. I eat plant based and cannot expect my pets to do the same if I want them to be healthy. Both pets are rescues and I want them to be healthy. So, I struggle the same as the rest that eat a plant based diet and have a leather belt in their closet and give some meat to their pets. Continue to be compassionate and kind…..
Nov 08, 2015 at 7:02 pm
Anything that was non Vegan but had a resale value I gave to charity. Anything that was too worn to be re-sold but could still be used I chose to wear out and then replace with a Vegan alternative.
But it’s not just clothing, animal products are found in bonding glues in furniture, paint and varnish and many other products. i think it’s difficult to fully eliminate them quickly. I look upon my Veganism as an evolving process.
Sep 27, 2015 at 9:23 pm
Thanks for sharing. it’s good to hear how other vegans deal with this difficult matter. I absolutely agree on the evolving process. I found out recently that Casein (the protein found in dairy) is used to make glue, and is also used in the manufacturing of fabrics, adhesives, plastics and protective coatings. I think I’d probably be very shocked if i knew just how many products I still use are made with animal body parts.
Oct 03, 2015 at 4:43 pm
And therein lies the problem. I simply do my best to be the best Vegan I can be and accept that. I live in a very densely populated city, work in a blue collar occupation and live in an apartment with no access to a garden space. I cannot grow my own food or recycle as effectively as I would like. Like yourself I dread to think how many products contain animal tissue, nor can I afford to replace everything that may contain them. I cannot fully overcome all the obstacles that are in front of me, but I am learning how to be the best Vegan I can be under those circumstances. I’m not perfect, but I’m not going to beat myself up over that.
Oct 03, 2015 at 9:34 pm
“Be the best vegan I can” is probably the best statement so far. It’s not easy wrestling all the issues involved when becoming vegan, and that statement definitely relieves some of the pressure.
I too have leather goods from my pre vegan days. I would never buy leather again, and I’m as strict as can be with my diet. But no matter how hard you try, there will always be something that is non vegan that has sneaked under the modern life radar. Our evolution to this point is important to remember, and I really believe that we are living in a time of great transition and change. History will show that these were times when great ideologies and practices were seen to be flawed, and that change was brought about to create a more equal and caring world. At least that’s what I hope.
This thread has been a very rewarding read. Thank you.
Oct 21, 2018 at 5:05 pm
Absolutely. I STILL have one leather bag, but all my other animal skin items have long since died natural and kinder deaths from old age, than did their original owners. I became almost vegan in 1973 (the usual cheese misdemeanor), facing the same dilemma as Peter and finding the same solution. These days there are such realistic looking fake skins, which makes it easier for people to use up their leather items. However, if people do ask, think of it as an opportunity to not only explain yourself, but also the reasons why you have become an ethical vegan. And yes, I did eventually give up cheese and feather pillows!
Vegan is the future, or there will be no future.
Sep 13, 2015 at 6:36 am
I think people often use “quality” as an excuse for continuing to buy leather. I was bought up believing that leather shoes and bags are always better quality and last longer. Perhaps this was once the case, but in this day and age with modern technology, surely we have the ability to produce even more robust materials. Of course now that wouldn’t be a reason for me anyway; I’d rather buy two bags a year instead of one if it means I don’t harm animals. It’s not wasteful either, because we have the ability to recycle non-animal product materials so as to minimise the impact on the environment.
Sep 13, 2015 at 8:38 am
Yes, I agree, the misconception that leather is a luxury material is the reason so many people refuse to buy “anything less”, without seeing or wanting to see the suffering behind the finished product. I know people who hate the thought of animal suffering, yet still draw the line at purchasing something that is cruelty-free because they see it as “cheap” or “tasteless”. The same people buy pedigree dogs or cats, believing the lie that such animals are stronger and healthier and will not have behavioural problems. Reminding them about farm-animal slaughter or puppy/kitten mills usually evokes tearful “oh don’t tell me, I can’t bear the thought” etc. I think those attitudes have to change, given the increasing exposure of cruelties associated with animal exploitation. The cause for animal liberation from cruel exploitation has never moved forward as quickly as it has done in the last couple of decades. We despair, but we should remember that just 50 years ago, vegetarianism was still considered to be a fringe activity worthy of psychiatric attention. If it is true that “first they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win”, then we can take heart that they are not ignoring us, nor are they any longer laughing at us, but they are implementing outrageous laws to keep us quiet~! Just one step to go; maybe not in our lifetimes, but we are treading a path that others will follow. The future is vegan, tell the world.
Sep 19, 2015 at 4:55 am
This is something I’m constantly explaining to people.. vegans and non-vegans alike. I think we get caught up in what others think about us if we choose to wear our old leather pieces, well at least I felt this way.
I knew in my heart and mind that it made sense for me to keep my old leather designer purses rather than tossing or giving them away but I was afraid of what others (vegans or non-vegans) might think. But like you said, I now use it as an opportunity to educate others so that we don’t produce any more!
Sep 10, 2015 at 4:51 pm
Spot on, Vicky. Moreover, I think there’s enough second-hand leather items to last out until the end of our species without needing to kill anymore animals!
Sep 13, 2015 at 8:33 am
You make a good point (number 4) regarding cats and dogs. Domestic (not wild) dogs can live on a vegan diet with proper fortified dog foods, and many do. But cats simply can’t, and so you are right, even if all humans were vegan, if they wanted to keep cats as pets, animals would still need to be killed. However, cats are capable of killing animals themselves if left to their own devices; they are natural hunters.
I know walking into a room full of vegans with your vintage leather jacket might come as a shock, but I think you’re right to not waste and discard the clothes on the basis that some vegans might be offended. The only potential issue is that non-vegans see these clothes and feel encouraged to continue buying new leather clothes and therefore continuing this barbaric trade, because it’s not like you can continually explain your stance to everyone.
Sep 03, 2015 at 6:31 am
I have been struggling with this issue myself…..for years I sold vintage clothes and I have a number of vintage jackets along with boots, purses and belts that are leather. I went through all the thoughts you posted above and came to this conclusion:
1) the animals used in these items were killed long ago, they are not benefiting/promoting any current company who kills animals.
2) throwing them out would be wasteful and economically it is not possible for me to replace said items ( I am disabled now and live on a small budget). Not everyone can afford a whole new wardrobe. Some plastic fake leather is rather toxic smelling as well so I am not sure how “green” the factories are etc. I must add that the fake leather purses and shoes I have purchased do NOT last long at all before they crack and start falling apart. Having to replace these items over and over and over is NOT good for the planet. Good leather items can last a lifetime (or longer) with proper care…so what is really better for the environment.?
3) giving them away would really be no different than me wearing them.
4) animals are killed for production of dog/cat/wild animal feed and it would be wasteful to toss the byproducts. I may follow a plant based diet, but I don’t feel that dogs and cats should do this, they need to eat meat. Even if all humans became vegan, there would still be animals killed to feed pets and therefore there will be byproducts of this industry. Isn’t it wasteful to not use as much of the deceased animals as possible?
I know my continued wearing of vintage leather does not meet vegan standards and for that I am sorry. I have yet to hear an alternative option for my leather items that works for me.
Sep 01, 2015 at 7:03 am
Just care for your old leather items and wear them. You are not buying new items, so you are not creating a demand for leather. As for companion animals who eat meat, that’s a problem because most vegans also rescue animals such as cats and dogs. I suppose there are alternatives, such as road-kill (sorry) and in-vitro meat (expensive), but who knows what the future holds as more people become vegan and the meat and dairy industries collapse (hopefully).
In the meantime, we should do our best and we should be kind to each other, because those we speak for need us to create a united front and because the one thing that will destroy the cause for animal rights is infighting.
Sep 13, 2015 at 8:25 am