How Eco-Friendly is Faux Fur?

Juicy Couture Faux Fur Jacket

’tis the season for warm winter coats and the resurgence of fur-as-fashion. I’m not going to be a hypocrite and say I’d never wear an animal – I wear leather shoes and carry leather bags. But I do draw the line at wearing pieces that LOOK like animals, or like they belong on an animal; they definitely do not belong on me. Fur is also not my style, and honestly, I am usually repulsed by fur coats, and shocked by the tackiness of fur-trimmed bags (and shoes). Sorry. I just don’t get it.

BUT. I also don’t get faux fur. I’m not really into “faux” anything: as a vegan, I don’t want faux “chicken” fingers, I prefer vegan handbags that are made from innovative materials, not necessarily those made to LOOK like leather, and don’t even get me started on faux/FAKE handbags – ick. I do understand that many people like the look and feel of fur/faux fur, and many others also look to faux fur as an eco-friendly alternative to fur. But is it really?

The short answer is yes: it takes much more energy to raise an animal for it’s fur than it does to produce faux fur for a coat. And ethically-speaking, faux fur does not require the large scale torture and murder of millions of animals in the name of fashion. BUT, faux fur IS FAUX. It’s essentially plastic – most faux fur is made from acrylic fiber, which is synthetic, and made from petrochemicals/plastic. Sure, it’s not the same thing as ingesting plastic via plastic water bottles or food storage containers, but I’d rather wear natural fibers like cotton, hemp, or lyocell. When you consider how the acrylic fiber is made, and then what happens when it’s discarded and ends up in a landfill (nothing? how long does it take for acrylic fiber to break down?), faux fur doesn’t seem so environmentally friendly after all.  And there have also been reports that fur labeled as “faux” isn’t always – sometimes it actually contains dog hair.

Of course, it’s all relative, and yes, faux fur is MORE eco-friendly than real fur by a long shot, but it is NOT eco-friendly in and of itself unless you can find faux fur that’s made from organic cotton. And after all my research, the only organic cotton faux fur I’ve found is by Loyale – one of our very favorite eco-friendly clothing designers. Loyale’s Costilla Jacket is a consistent best-seller and 100% organic cotton faux fur.  They also have a super-luxurious organic cotton faux fur throw:

Loyale Organic Cotton Faux Fur Jacket

Loyale Organic Cotton Faux Fur Throw

You could also consider Patagonia’s Synchilla® collection – it’s not exactly billed as faux fur, but it does have the look and cozy feel. It IS made from polyester fleece (a synthetic material), but it is also recyclable, which means (theoretically) it doesn’t have to end up in a landfill.

Patagonia Synchilla Collection

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More excellent resources:
The Eco-Ethics of Fur
A Furry Issue