Dear Vegans: Please don't throw out your old leather
(or wool, fur or silk)
When I first became vegan, it didn’t even cross my mind to get rid of stuff I already owned. I didn’t feel pressured to go vegan overnight, so my mindset for everything was “I’ll use what I already have and never buy this again”, but it was a pretty obvious thing for me even in terms of food and cosmetics. It wasn’t until later, when I started watching vegan youtubers and joined a few facebook groups, that I realized that vegans getting rid of non vegan clothing was actually a thing some people thought was the right thing to do.
I am against this. I understand that it might be weird to walk around wearing a dead animal’s skin once you realize what it actually is. Although I don’t personally own real leather, I do own quite a lot of wool and I get that someone who just realized the cruelty behind these products might feel bothered and tempted to never touch these items again. But something that must be remembered is that the harm has already been done, in the moment this item was purchased new. There won’t be any more harm if you keep wearing the leather jacket that you already have in your closet. However, if you choose to throw it away, you are contributing to waste and you are actually harming the environment.
Now, I know that most people know better than to throw usable items that are in good condition to the trash – especially vegans, who are typically more conscious about the impact of their choices than most people. I assume that most vegans, if they choose to get rid of non-vegan items, donate or sell these products. Which is great! It’s definitely a good thing to do if you don’t need these items, or if you feel too uncomfortable wearing them. But there is another side to this story: when you do get rid of these products, are you going to try replacing them? If so, how will you do that? Will you look for a cheap "vegan" alternative that was made in a sweatshop, from polluting materials? Because if you are, I urge you to keep your non vegan items instead, since you’ll hurt far less lives.
It breaks my heart when I see a new vegan asking for “cheap” vegan shoes and people recommending a certain fast fashion company like Primark or Zara. Just because something doesn’t contain animal products doesn’t mean that it’s vegan – and corporations that exploit their workers for the profit of a small handful of people are definitely not vegan in my book. Human rights are an important part of veganism. Besides, non-human animals are also a victim of fast fashion, as it is one of the most polluting industries in the world. There is no reason to support fast fashion when you have an alternative: keep the clothes you already own.
I feel like I say this every time, but I think not enough people realize it: Everything that is new has an impact. You can try minimizing the impact by supporting ethical brands that are fair to their workers, that choose recycled or ethically sourced materials and that use environmentally friendly practices, but there is nothing as a “zero impact” purchase. I think it’s important to support these ethical companies, but I also think it’s important to rethink our consumer habits and wonder if we really need to buy something new.
Not only I don’t see a problem with wearing the animal products you already own (as long as you don’t buy new ones), I also don’t see a problem with buying them second hand. By buying second hand you aren’t supporting the industries that make these harmful products – instead, you are supporting your local community, and giving a new opportunity to unwanted clothes that would otherwise be thrown in the landfill. In my opinion, buying second hand leather is a better alternative than buying new fake leather. Besides, although it’s a cruel product that shouldn’t even exist, leather is usually very durable, so it will last you longer and contribute to less waste being made. If wearing it doesn’t make you uncomfortable, definitely look for second hand leather.
Some people feel like wearing animal products is wrong because it’s like you are promoting these products to other people – like every vegan is a walking advertisement of what should and shouldn’t be done. I don’t think like that: I think vegans wearing leather (whether it’s an old purchase or second hand) may actually be a good thing. Imagine someone whose style deeply relies on leather, to the point where giving it up seems heartbreaking to them – isn’t it awesome that there is an ethical way to do it? It's important that people see that you don't have to give up something as personal as your style to be vegan.
What are your thoughts on this? Do you keep non vegan items from before you went vegan? Would you buy second hand leather? I would love to know your opinion!
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