Why fur is green

At the moment we are at a time where everybody is trying their best to be conscious of how our choices and lifestyles affect nature. It seems, that there are different ways of being sustainable fashion. Some say that they are sustainable because they recreate clothes from reused plastic and textiles. In our point of view, sustainable fashion is clothes that can biodegrade itself. In this case fur is an excellent product to use and promote.

Unfortunately, narrowminded animal rights campaigns have created misleading statements and confusion about the true sustainable role of the fur industry. This makes it even more important for us to emphasize, that fur is a natural material and a true gift of nature. Fur can degrade itself in nature and nothing is wasted in the process. This makes it a sustainable material, that should not be wasted because of misleading activists. Fur is green. In fact, it is so green that it would be a huge shame, if these activists succeed in making the world look the other way and wear nondegradable clothes.

A natural material

Clothes, furniture, accessories and more made of fur are products made of natural materials. This makes them a lot more interesting than all of the nondegradable items we buy every day. There are many advantages that comes with wearing and investing in natural fur. One of these are, as many of us already know, that natural skin and fur is of high quality. Of course, fur from wild animals can have scratches and irregularities, but at NATURES Collection we carefully select the fur that matches our brand and individual products, so the material is used as it should and not wasted.

This makes our products items of high quality, also because of all the extra work that is put into it. To get to the bottom of this, we have to consider the fact, that wearing fur is wearing something, that was once the skin of a living creature. This makes it a great investment that can last a lifetime if you take good care of it. Another thing, that not many of us think about, is the fact that natural fur equals a clear conscious. Buying these natural materials, you do not have to worry about adding any more nondegradable items to the planet.

Biodegradable fashion

As we all know, we have to take care of our planet. The massive overconsumption around the world has had a very negative impact on planet earth and we are already able to see this in the shape of massive climate changes. This gives us a very good reason to invest in biodegradable clothes and products instead of the synthetics made from petrochemicals. These synthetic materials cannot break down as easily as the planet deserves and will remain in landfills for centuries.

Fur, in opposition to these synthetic products, can be used for many years. To prolong the life of fur garments, pelts first undergo a special tanning process called ‘dressing’. This process protects the hair follicles and the fur, while preserving the skin, making it less likely to disintegrate and therefore more durable. The fur will eventually dry out and begin to biodegrade and return to nature. You can even take your old fur and get it composed for your garden. If the fur is properly cared for, it can last several decades before it dries out.

Fur is sustainable fashion

Fur is made available to us from many different sources. Among other actions, we receive fur from regulation ordered by the state and the production of meat. This means that our fur is, for instance, a by product to both regulation and the meat industry. If we look at these actions alone, it would be quite a shame to throw the skin away as waste and only use the meat for production or to feed the animals, that lives in nature. If you look at it this way, the use of animal fur has a very important purpose in relation to sustainability. The clothes, that are made of natural materials, can degrade themselves in nature and has no environmental risks. The alternative is clothes made of synthetic plastic fibers made of petroleum.

This is, as the opposite to natural skin and fur, neither environmentally good nor sustainable. It is a resource, that cannot be degraded. It is also important that the killing should result in a minimum of waste. This is actually about the false assumption that when you take fur from an animal, the remains of the animal will not be used. This is very far from the truth.

A lot of the skins are as mentioned by products to the meat industry and the other animals that are not used as meat will be returned to nature where they will be eaten by other animals and function as nutrition for them. But what is most important? Is it that the animals have their own rights so humans cannot dispose over their resources and living conditions or is it sustainability?

At NATURES Collection we care a great deal about sustainability, but just as much about animal welfare, so that we can vouch for our products. In this case it is also important to mention, that the treatment of the fur contains very mild chemicals, to secure the quality of the fur and to make very small and insignificant environmental consequences. In other words, fur is green.

Sustainable fashion all year round

Wouldn’t it be awesome to be able to wear sustainable clothes and accessories every day all year? When you think about fur as clothes, many of us automatically think about fur coats, that keep us warm in the cold winter months. But fur is not only for the cold days. In fact, it can be used all year round. Fur accessories are a great example on how to incorporate fur into your summer wardrobe. You can get bags, hats, hair bands and even shoes.

You can also wear a fur poncho, vest or a scarf for those long summer nights. This gives you plenty of opportunities and innovative ways to integrate fur in the summer and spring as well. It is also important for us to mention, that while you enjoy the warm months, you should take care of your fur coat at storage it with care. Don’t store it at home in a basement or a closet wrapped in plastic. Instead you need to storage it in a 100% fireproof cold storage vault every summer.

Fur fashion equals animal rights

Animals provide us with a wide range of important products which is why we have a responsibility to make sure, that their welfare is exceptional. The issue of animal rights is very important to many people around the world. So, when you look at the issue regarding natural fur and the assumption that it is a threat to animal rights, it can be a good idea to do some research about whether it is ethical to use and wear natural fur. In this case it is really a matter of what it takes to become ethically correct to use animal products in general.

In a study of the sealing industry in Canada it has been proven, that the majority of the public feel, that it is ethically correct to use the skin from animals, as long as following conditions are obeyed. The first condition is that the survival of the species should not be threatened. This is really about sustainability and that there is no future in using up the resources we need to survive. That is why multiple actions have been made to secure the survival of the species and one of these actions are regulation. Through regulation, the state decides in every country which animals are allowed to be hunted and when, to make sure, that all animal species and crops get the best living standards and cannot extinct each other.

Another condition is, that there should not be any unnecessary pain and cruelty in connection with the killing. This is a very important matter for the fur industry, and it is taken very seriously. The farm animals get good nutrition and care, so the fur can live up to and compete with the high standards on the market. These good conditions that the animals have are also shown to the public at the popular Open Farming events in Denmark.

This way the public get a chance to see that animal welfare is present in the fur industry when it comes to the farm animals, like mink in Denmark and fox in Finland. The fur from the other animals like rabbit, sheep, cow and reindeer are biproducts from the meat industry. This means, that the entire animal is used and not just the meat. This gives a minimum of waste. The other animals like raccoon and zebra are wild animals that are captured in traps or dies naturally. The traps that are used for the raccoons are approved by specialized authorities, that ensure that the animal experiences less possible stress and pain during the catching. 

WelFur and FURMARK

But how do you ensure that every fur farmer lives up to the strong demands on animal welfare and how do you make sure that the wild animals who live freely in nature are secured as well? The fur business has taken initiative to introduce control of the animal welfare at the farms and this initiative is called WelFur. WelFur is a scientific certification system that bases its protocol on 4 principles;

Good housing, Good feeding, Good health and Appropriate behavior. The many farmers are measured and evaluated and gets a good basis for documenting high animal welfare at the farms. The project takes place all over Europe and meets the fashion industry and the consumers demands for transparency and documentation of the animal welfare in the fur business.  It is the trade organization FurEurope that is behind this initiative in cooperation with scientists from 7 universities in Europe.

Besides WelFur we need to mention IFF – The International Fur Federation, which is the only organization, that represent the fur business and regulates its practices and trade. The organization has 56 members distributed in 40 countries. Every member has the responsibility to make sure that their country lives up to the regulations. The latest international certification we want to mention is FURMARK which will be launched in 2020. This certification is about securing that the different members of the fur industry lives up to specific demands on sustainability and animal welfare.

FURMARK key issues are high environmental demands for wastewater treatment and coloring of the fur. Also, to ensure human health and the environment, FURMARK has made restrictions on which chemicals that are allowed to be used. This makes FURMARK a label, that combines animal welfare with environmental- and human health. With all of these initiatives and controls, we can be sure that the high standards in animal welfare is maintained in the fur business as well.

Let nature take its course!

Sustainability has a high priority in the world today and this is noticeable in the fur business. To many it is about saving the planet from the many environmental effects we inflict on it ourselves. It is a very important matter for many because in the end, it is crucial for securing our own survival.

In order to secure the earth, we have to prioritize and use the natural materials, that can degrade themselves in nature or be reused. This is actually a part of the natural food chain. Many animal- and plant species produce more offspring than their habitat can manage and that is why the weak are used as nutrition for the others. It might sound harsh for some people, but it creates a natural flow, that we as humans should not change, just because it provokes our beliefs and our culture.

This is why we at NATURES Collection choose to focus on animal welfare and sustainability. The core in our belief is that nature gives us the resources we need, without exploiting the vital resources of the earth. In other words, we respect nature and its ecosystem and use the resources it gives to us. This makes NATURES Collection and the fur business in general an important player in the necessary battle against climate change. 

Spread the word!

The issue regarding sustainable living is very important for us at NATURES Collection. When working with these materials it is easy to see their multiple possibilities and spreading it out to the world is of great importance to us. When wearing our designs, we hope it is done with pride and acknowledgement of the great part you are taking in the battle against climate change.

You are our ambassadors for sustainable living and that is a privilege. So, when you are wearing our fur or decorating your home with our interior collection you are very welcome to share the moment with us on Instagram. All you have to do is to tag us @naturescollection on your photo and we will feature your picture in our profile. This way you help us spread the word and awareness of the perks of sustainable fashion.

It means a great deal to us that you wish to be a part of our world. Whether you just bought your first fur coat or have several fur items in your wardrobe or home already, we thank you. We hope to keep doing business with you in the future and in return we will create fabulous new styles every year.