The privilege of using animal skins but still ensuring sustainability

Each year, millions of animals are slaughtered for their animal skins and fur to cater to the luxury fashion industry. All farms select the best quality animals to bring the slaughterhouse mercilessly. Animals of inferior genetic resources, no longer commercially viable, will be separated from farms, and no longer properly cared for in health and nutrition, causing them to become impaired to death.

The impact of the skin removal and handling of animal skins

The impact of the skin removal and handling of animal skins such as crocodile skin, cowhide, snake skin, kangaroos and seals, etc. requires the use of a number of chemical compounds including mineral salts, formaldehyde, coal tar derivatives, some have very high levels of shine oils, dyes, and cyanide blends help prevent biodegradation as well as preserve the skin over time. This causes a catastrophic disaster to the surrounding ecosystem from water, aquatic life and the greenhouse effect when emitting large quantities of toxic chemicals containing chromium. In parallel, the workers who work in tannery and live near tanning factories always have bad health. Many people die from a fatal cancer caused by exposure to toxic chemicals used to treat and dye their skin. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the incidence of leukemia in the population in an area near a tannery in Kentucky is five times more than that of the United States average.

In addition, farms that raise animals for food and skin require the extraction of an amount of industrial complementary feed, and pasture extraction for non-procedural animal feed. Water and fossil fuels used by many farms are extremely wasteful every year. According to a PETA-based statistic, animal waste is raised on farms 130 times more than humans; but the waste from the animals does not have a satisfactory treatment chain to ensure the surrounding environment.

Also, because many animal protection organizers have condemned the boycott of brands that use animal-based materials to take place, giving consumers a more conscious look. Instead of buying leather clothes and leather accessories such as belts, shoes and wallets, customers today look for products made from natural or artificial fibers like cotton, ramie, flax, microfiber, ramie, pleather and faux leather. In addition, seaweed is also used to design fashionable clothes. Plants will crush, and synthesize, cellulose fibers to combine into a vegan-guaranteed fashion material from nature. Some famous brands such as Giorgio Armani, Versace, Gucci have begun to switch to using artificial leather and silk and commit all items from haute couture, Ready-to-Wear of the company will not have materials made from fur.

It is a very positive move when the brand and modern customers are aware of the importance of environmental protection, as well as the humanity above all else. However, there are also cases where it is impossible to commit not to the right to produce animal-based goods. A special privilege for a brand that relates to the value of its heritage – is Hermès and the luxury Hermès Birkin. There has been much controversy surrounding this crocodile-style premium bag; in the midst of the boycott of goods using animal skin materials.

However, the brand offers a final solution: the crocodile skin raising and curing process on Hermès farms will be closely and systematically managed, as well as increasing the value of each Birkin bag. The price of a Hermès Birkin bag often fluctuates in the tens of thousands of dollars or more, and the super-rich owner wants to own this legendary bag even if you have enough money to spend right away and not shop as quickly as the accessories line from other luxury brands. Buyers are required to place an order and wait at least 6 years to have a complete product on hand.

So, environmentally-friendly or sustainable fashion not only revolves around the use of artificial materials, traditional hand-woven silk from nature; but also including many other factors, such as ensuring equal working hours for workers, health and wages. At the same time increasing the life of clothes, cutting consumption and reuse of old clothes or prolonging the process of selling a product, coordinating consumer thinking is also a good solution to ensure the ecosystem.

Phong

Photo: Internet