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ΕλληνικάCruelty free materials
Linked to organic materials there are cruelty-free materials, which categorically ban any kind of violence and mistreatment of animals, e.g. in leather, silk or wool production.
Talking of silk, its production involves killing the tiny moth contained in the cocoon: for every kilo of silk, an estimated 6000 animals are killed. A cruelty-free alternative is the so-called ‘peace silk’ or ‘ahimsa’, which involves using the cocoon only after letting the moth out. This is a longer process (several weeks versus the 15 min. of the traditional process) and more laborious, as no chemicals can be used. The quality of the silk, however, is slightly inferior to the normal one, because as the moth comes out, it slightly damages the cocoon, breaking the fibre and compromising its quality. There are also ongoing experiments with laboratory-made synthetic silk (like Stella Mc Cartney’s) and recycled silk.
For leather and wool, on the other hand, the problems are related to how the animals are treated and bred.
Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/YmyD-gq6x1A
Concerning the leather used in the clothing industry, the animal should never be killed, but it should always be a waste product of the food industry, which would otherwise be destined for waste.
Talking about wool, cruelty free alternatives are those who ban mistreatment of animals, like for example mulesing. Mulesing is a surgical practice that consists of removing the skin around the tail of merino sheep, often performed without anaesthesia; it is a preventive measure that aims to avoid the appearance of myiasis (subcutaneous presence of fly larvae) in these sheep whose very dense fur and wet folds of the skin are ideal areas for the laying of parasites. While New Zealand prohibited the mulesing since 2018, the Australian farms ardently defend it and always practise it.
The presence of certain labels in particular PETA Approved and PETA Cruelty Free, but also labels more focused on merino wool such as ZQ and RWS (Responsible Wool Standard), also guarantee animal welfare and therefore entirely exclude the practice of mulesing.