Posts by Emma Håkansson

Your Guide to Vegan and Sustainable Home Furnishing

image: Sabai Design
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The Best Sustainable Vegan Furniture

The homes we create for ourselves are so important – a home should be a safe space, a nest, a place to hibernate and care for yourself. But the planet is our primary home, so we need to make sure that when we are furnishing our homes, we are caring for the planet, and all those living on it, too. It’s for this reason that sustainable, animal-free furnishing is growing in popularity.

Why sustainable, vegan furniture matters

Today, we are in a climate crisis. If we don’t act now to radically reduce our emissions, we will see further climate catastrophe; even more unruly wildfires, deadly floods, hurricanes and extreme, unliveable temperatures. We are facing mass extinction events, and a biodiversity crisis too, where many animal and plant species are becoming endangered and even disappearing.

While only system change can truly curb further crises, we all have our part to play – not only in using our voices to push and vote for said change, but to do our bit to reduce our personal impact. While we hear about sustainable and ethical fashion fairly often, sometimes we think less about furniture.

Not only should we buy less, buy better and care for the furniture we already have, we should consider vintage, and when buying new, consider animals, people and the planet. After all, just as with fashion, furniture and homewares are made by people who deserve fair treatment, and can either cause immense cruelty to animals and environmental harm, or be kinder, with a lower impact.

If you’re wondering ‘why vegan’, it’s important we remember that sustainability is also a form of social justice, and that all animals – humans and non-humans deserve protection. Too, animal-derived materials have disproportionately negative environmental impacts compared to many of their non-animal counterparts. So, let’s look at how to nail sustainable, vegan home furnishing…

Sofas – the centerpiece of the living room

A stylish home has a stylish couch. Sofas and lounges are one of the largest pieces of furniture anyone has, and our eyes often head straight to them in a living room. Many couches are made with either leather or wool, and some are filled with down.

Given the massive emissions, land clearing and water use associated with leather production – even when it’s vegetable tanned – and the similar impacts caused by wool, not to mention the cruelty to animals involved in producing these materials, it’s worth finding alternatives. Too, feather down comes from either live-plucked or slaughtered birds largely raised in polluting factory-farms. We can do better than that. Whether you choose a totally different material like a sustainable cotton velvet or corduroy, linen, hemp or a plant-based leather, there are plenty of options when buying new – which, remember, isn’t your only option! Here a few top of the line examples of what you could fill your home with:

1) Sabai

This BIPOC owned brand makes a classic ‘essential sofa’ from recycled velvet, FSC wood and recycled fiber filling that doesn’t release the same supposedly toxic substances some foams can. This company also aims to ‘close the loop’ by offering to replace parts of your sofa which might wear out after about a decade, so you don’t need to buy a whole new couch.

Sabai also offers love seats, ottomans and plenty of other gorgeous interiors – made sustainably and ethically in North Carolina.

use code CHIC150 for $150 off orders of $595 or more (cannot be combined with other discounts) expires Aug 31, 2025

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2) Medley

Made fairly in Los Angeles, these sofas come in 75 material options, with plenty of plant-based, ethical options to choose from. Propped up on American, consciously sourced hardwood and filled with non-toxic certified foam, Medley offers mid-century and other minimalistically styled couches in a variety of sizes and shapes to suit your needs.

Shop Medley

3) Ecobalanza

With plenty of material options available, Ecobalanza’s perhaps most sustainable and animal-friendly option is their organic cotton couch filled with natural kapuk fiber. The brand uses only Forest Stewardship Certified (FSC) wood as well as certified organic latex.

Everything here is made to order, ensuring reduced waste and only loved furniture is made. In a world where so many purchases head to landfill so soon, this is important.

Shop Ecobalanza

4) Gus* Modern

Ever wanted a modular couch made partly from apple skins, cores and seeds diverted from apple juice industry waste streams?

Now you can.

Gus* Modern offers AppleSkin couches and chairs, with this material reducing agricultural waste, maintaining a smaller land and carbon footprint than leather, while being oh so comfortable to sit on.

While this material is pricier, it’s worth noting many eco-conscious homeware brands offer (water-based and solvent free) PU vegan leather which is far from perfect, but which still has a far reduced production impact, and is free from cruelty.

Gus* couches and chairs also only use FSC wood to ensure forest protection, and instead of down-filled cushions, otherwise discarded plastic bottles are recycled into a soft, comfortable filling.

Shop Gus Modern

Rugs and blankets – the cozy elements

The simplest way to warm up a room is to add a soft rug to it. Rugs and throws that lie under and drape over couches are very often made from wool, supporting a slaughter industry. If you’d rather choose something kinder, there are plenty of options – recycled and organic cotton, hemp, post-consumer waste fabrics, Tencel and more.

Whether you want an earthier, more textured and sturdy rug, or something super soft and pillowy (better suited for a part of your home with less foot traffic) there are some great selections out there. Here are a few:

1) Miss Amara

This Australian brand has a beautiful collection of rugs, and with an easy search function that allows you to select only the materials you’re looking for, choosing sustainable and vegan is easy. Offering materials like jute, cotton, recycled plastic-bottles, hemp and even bamboo silk, Miss Amara has simple, block-coloured rug offerings, as well as intricate patterned and linear detailed designs.

Shop Miss Amara

2) Bhumi

Offering the softest, classically styled cable knit blankets and throws made from certified organic and fair trade cotton, Bhumi is an ethical, animal-free label. These blankets are free from unsustainable chemical bleaches and dyes, even recommended for babies and their sensitive skin. Everything at Bhumi is made in fair trade Indian facilities.

Shop Bhumi

3) Hook and Loom

Recycling post-consumer cotton textiles into loomed rugs that don’t require any latex backing, Hook and Loom’s eco-cotton collection is a sustainable choice.

With both neutral and bold colors, minimalist block patterns and a wide variety of sizes available, there’s plenty to explore here.

Shop Hook & Loom

4) Zouzou

This label is designed in very limited runs, so you know your rug will be unique, and that there’s always something new to explore from Zouzou. Made ethically in India using bamboo silk – a kind of bamboo viscose which can be made more sustainably – Zouzou is a great choice if you’re looking for muted tones and an animal and plastic free rug.

Shop Zouzou

5) Slow Down Studio

If you’re looking for a blanket to bring a bit of color and life to your bedroom or living area, Slow Down Studio might be your new favorite. Woven with American grown and recycled cotton, this label offers limited edition collaborations with different independent artists.

Abstract forms and shapes, illustrations and patterns look beautiful against more minimalist furniture pieces, with these pieces spun and woven in the USA.

Shop Slow Down Studio

Bedding that won’t keep you up at night

Who wants to rest their head on a bed that’s caused environmental destruction and cruelty, when dreamier, green and ethical options exist? When it comes to bedding, again, we need to watch out for down feathers. We also want to avoid unsustainable virgin synthetic replacements, and again, wool. Too, if you’re looking for bed sheets that keep your hair and skin extra smooth, you might want to find a silk alternative.

1) MINNA

Feature cushions can enliven a bedroom and bring some texture to a space. MINNA is a queer owned business dedicated to cultural preservation, parterning with family-run and independent co-operatives full of artisans using indigenous techniques to make throw pillows.

MINNA’s organic cotton collection made across Mexico and Peru feature neutral and pastel tones in simple and beautiful patterns.

Shop Minna

2) ettitude

This brand’s bedding is made from bamboo lyocell, a material that’s as soft as silk, breathable like cotton and more sustainable than both. Bamboo lyocell is made in a closed-loop system, avoiding water pollution while transforming bamboo fibers into the softest material you’ve touched.

In beautiful dark green olive, dusty rose, pastel and neutral tones, ettitude has something for everyone.

Shop ettitude

3) Avocado

If you’re looking for bedding, Avocado’s got it all. FSC hardwood bed frames, pillows filled with kapok seed-hair fiber from growing trees, certified vegan, organic cotton, non-toxic mattresses, you name it. With a wealth of information on their ethical practices, responsible and fair trade sourcing, material choices and everything in between, you can be comfortable knowing that the vegan options at Avocado are as good as bedding gets.

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4) VISO

Another label to enliven both your living and bedroom, VISO offers cotton throw cushions and blankets to snuggle up with. VISO is another label offering limited-edition designs, and supports artisan communities through their label, which uses recycled and plant-based materials.

Featuring block colors and abstract forms, VISO’s blankets also make for beautiful wall hangings, which make a bedroom feel extra warm and homely.

Shop VISO

About the Author

Emma Håkansson is the founder and director of Collective Fashion Justice which seeks to create a total ethics fashion system that prioritizes the life and wellbeing of non-human & human animals, as well as the planet, before profit & production. She has written countless articles on ethics, sustainability, and fashion, and has two books due out over the next two years.

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what is Mirum and where to find it

As sustainability in fashion is further explored, the importance of alternatives to both animal-derived and fossil-fuel based leathers is becoming more commonly accepted. MIRUM is a new and innovative leather-like material that is entirely free from both animal and plastic inputs. So what’s it made of, and what brands are using it?

The importance of moving beyond animal leather

Before we can talk about leather alternatives, we need to look at why there’s such a need for these alternative materials to begin with. When it comes to animal-derived leather, there are a myriad of ethical and environmental consequences of production worth evolving beyond. Some of these include the exploitation and slaughter of animals, deforestation and inefficient land use, biodiversity destruction, significant greenhouse gas emissions, tannery pollution and worker’s rights issues across the supply chain.

Based on some industry data, calculations suggest a Brazilian leather handbag can result in as much as 1,000 square meters of once biodiverse land being kept clear for production, while other data shows a similarly sized cow skin leather bag to have a carbon equivalent footprint of over 100kg, and a water footprint of as much as over 17,100 liters.

While leather – a valuable co-product of meat and dairy production – has been used for centuries and been relied on by humans in that time to make sturdy shoes, bags and other clothes, fashion is now evolving.

The importance of moving beyond synthetic leather

While animal-derived leather isn’t a sustainable fashion solution, the replacement of leather by virgin synthetic materials isn’t ideal for the planet, either. While even polyurethane synthetic leather has a smaller carbon, water and land footprint, in some instances even requiring less chemistry and fossil fuel use, ‘more sustainable’ than leather doesn’t make for a ‘genuinely sustainable’ material. Synthetic leather is still a plastic product derived from fossil fuels. We can do far better than that.

Fossil fuel extraction is the leading cause of the climate crisis, and the synthetic materials produced from them can’t naturally biodegrade, spelling trouble when shoes and bags made from the material are no longer wanted.

It’s because of these problems that material innovation is so important. Material Innovation Initiative’s latest report found that since 2015, $2.3 billion has been invested in the next-gen material space, with the majority of this work going into replacing animal-derived and synthetic leather. In fact, 49 of the 74 companies in the next-gen material space are working on leather replacements.

Partly bio-based alternatives are stepping stones to further innovation

At the moment, a number of more sustainable alternatives to both animal-derived leather and synthetic leather are still actually partly synthetic. For example ‘cactus leather’, ‘pineapple leaf leather’, ‘apple leather’, ‘mango leather’ and other colloquially named materials are actually only partly plant-based. Many of these materials are blended with synthetics – the plant matter dried out and made into a powder which is mixed with polyurethane, or in the case of Piñatex made from pineapple plant leaves (a ~95% plant-based material), coated in a thin layer of bio-resin, made from plasticised plant starch.

These materials are more sustainable than both of the earlier mentioned materials, and also reduce fashion’s reliance on fossil fuels – even if not eliminating it entirely. Essentially, they’re a far better choice to pick from, move the needle in the right direction, but still have room to improve. They can be seen as stepping stones to the most ideal leather alternatives of the future. Materials, for example, like MIRUM.

What is Mirum made of?

MIRUM is an entirely new kind of leather-like material. Made entirely without plastic of any kind, MIRUM is certified to be made of 100% bio-content through the USDA’s biopreferred program. MIRUM only ever uses natural materials that ensure recyclability at the end of the materials life as a bag, shoe or belt.

Using abundant plant matter and ‘upcycled’ agricultural side streams rather than primary products (similar to how Piñatex uses pineapple plant leaves, rather than the fruits themselves), the material is efficient and renewable.

The question of what’s actually in MIRUM is complex, because it is so customisable. If a brand wants a slightly different texture, feel, thickness or color, MIRUM will be made accordingly, with slightly different inputs.

For example, a bag made by Melina Bucher features supple black MIRUM, and is made from a blend of Forest Stewardship Certified natural rubber, natural colorants like charcoal from pine, natural fillers like clays, plant-based oils and waxes. Other ‘ingredients’ used in different iterations of the material include coconut husk fiber, cork powder made as a by-product of wine-stopper making, and rice hull. Another brand, Bellroy, says their custom formulation of MIRUM also includes soybeans, and is backed with organic cotton.

These inputs are blended together during a mechanical process which forms a sheet, with the help of a patented plant-based curative. This is something MIRUM has over partly bio-based materials, which combine and set plant-based ingredients in a plastic-based or petrochemical substance.

How sustainable is MIRUM?

While everything that makes up MIRUM sounds great, how do we know if it’s really sustainable? Well, the company that makes the material, Natural Fiber Welding, recently released an intimate assessment of how the material impacts the climate when compared to animal-derived leather, synthetic leather and partly-bio-based leather. And the results are seriously attention-grabbing.

MIRUM’s first carbon footprint assessment found that producing one square meter of the material results in as little as 0.84kg of carbon equivalent emissions (CO2e), with the higher end of the estimate equating to 2.1kg of CO2e. That’s equal to roughly the same amount of greenhouse gasses required to wash and dry one load of laundry!

To compare this with other similarly used materials, the assessment also shows one square meter to have a CO2e impact that’s:

Nearly 14 times smaller than chrome-tanned leather from cradle to gate
Over 7.5 times smaller than synthetic leather’s impact
Almost 4 times smaller than that of partly-bio-based PU leathers

While sustainability isn’t only about carbon, and we need to consider water use, chemistry, land use, biodiversity and other impacts too, the climate impact of a material is extremely important, and these results have huge implications for the future of fashion.

Too, given that we know MIRUM’s inputs are natural, chemistry won’t be a major problem with MIRUM, and when it comes to land use, the plant-based materials that are used to produce it are considered to be pretty efficient – especially as compared to animal-derived materials.

When it comes to circularity – an important aspect of material sustainability which ensures reduced waste – MIRUM performs well too; the material is able to decompose into compost mulch.

What brands are working with MIRUM?

A handful of brands are working with MIRUM at the moment, with this number soon to expand, as the company has recently partnered with Veshin Factory, which ethically makes vegan bags for brands around the world. This partnership will allow greater accessibility to the material.

Here are some of the brands working with the material right now:

Melina Bucher

The Bailey bag from Melina Bucher features both black and sand-toned MIRUM, in a sleek, timeless style paired with golden toned hardware. Ethically handcrafted in Spain, the brand is entirely vegan and dedicated to female leadership.

Bellroy

Certified B-Corp Bellroy was the first brand to release MIRUM commercially. Today, the brand offers a simple wallet, a sling bag, and will soon release another bag. They’ve also previously released now sold out phone cases, laptop sleeves and other products using the material.

Looking more broadly, Bellroy works with the Centre for Effective Altruism to support some not-for-profit projects, is transparent about the efforts to improve their sustainability, and works hard to be a positive place to work. The brand is based in Melbourne, Australia.

Segan

An ethically made bag from a brand that participates in Fashion Revolution campaigns, Segan is working with MIRUM to create PETA certified vegan, fairly crafted and sustainable bags. The brand is also dedicated to genderless fashion and rejecting needless labels.

Right now, you can only sign up to get updates from the brand, which will ship to the US and Canada.

Modher

Another certified B Corp, Modher uses traditional techniques to craft fairly made bags. Having previously worked only with animal-derived leather, the Italian designed and made brand now offers a small crossbody bag made from MIRUM. It’s exciting to see brands moving forward with materials like this.

Camper

Camper is the first shoe brand to make sneakers with MIRUM, making the material more accessible. However, Good On You gives the brand a poor rating, citing their lack of commitment to ensuring living wages to their workers, and to reducing their overall environmental impact.

While it’s great to see Camper supporting this important material innovation, they need to do far more to ensure they’re living up to the promise of ‘ethical’ and ‘sustainable’ fashion which MIRUM aligns with.

Allbirds

Under the name ‘Plant Leather’, Allbirds is working on a collection of MIRUM sneakers and shoes. Allbirds previously has only used wool and wood-based fibers in their shoe collections, making MIRUM an exciting edition to the collection. Allbirds is another brand that doesn’t have a very good rating from Good On You, so check that out before making any decisions.

About the Author
Emma Håkansson is the founder and director of Collective Fashion Justice which seeks to create a total ethics fashion system that prioritizes the life and wellbeing of non-human & human animals, as well as the planet, before profit & production. She has written countless articles on ethics, sustainability, and fashion, and has two books due out over the next two years.

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Plastic Free Alternatives to Animal-Derived Materials

For those looking to avoid animal-derived materials for the sake of animals themselves, as well as people and the planet, it can be difficult to know what to wear instead. Switching out animal skins for plastic is no perfect solution, so fortunately there are plenty of totally animal and plastic free alternatives to fur, leather and wool.

Why do some people avoid wearing animal-derived materials like fur, leather and wool?

A growing number of people are opting to avoid all animal-derived materials in fashion – as many as one in eight globally, according to surveying by FOUR PAWS. There are plenty of reasons for this change, with the first and most obvious being for the protection of animals themselves. Whether fur, leather or wool, the industries selling these skins and fibers ultimately slaughter animals when it is most profitable. The cruelties of fur are most commonly understood, but leather – a valuable co-product of the meat industry – and wool have insidious undersides, too. From calf-cow separation and painful dehorning for leather and brutal tail docking and selective breeding practices for wool, it’s easy to understand this growing shift beyond animal-derived materials. But there are environmental reasons for this switch, too.

While we could talk for days about the environmental impacts of these materials, here are a few fast facts: Leather has one of the most significant negative climate, land, and biodiversity impacts of any material on the planet. Making cow skin leather for a pair of boots can result in as many as 7 times more emissions than even synthetic leather, which is far out-performed by genuinely sustainable alternatives, too. Meanwhile, fur contributes to major pollution through factory-farming, and is rendered toxically non-biodegradable by the chemicals pelts are processed with in order to be wearable. Wool on the other hand is highly land-inefficient, requiring as much as 1,800 square meters more land to produce an average knitted sweater than materials like cotton or Tencel. In turn, wool contributes to major biodiversity destruction and even some serious species threats.

Finally, some of the human impacts of these animal-derived material supply chains include the plight of slaughterhouse workers killing for a living, who are more likely to suffer with perpetration-induced traumatic stress (similar to PTSD) due to their inherently violent work. Too, people working in both fur-dressing and leather tanning are exposed to harmful and carcinogenic substances frequently, and even shearers have reported to be mistreated and underpaid. Meanwhile farmers across all three material production systems have spoken about the mental distress tied to the cruel aspects of their work.

Why are plastic materials not a sustainable solution either?

When looking to find alternatives to fur, leather and wool, you’ll come across a lot of synthetic materials. While synthetic alternatives actually have smaller climate impacts, this does not mean they are good for the climate or planet – they certainly are not! Acrylic faux fur and wool, polyurethane synthetic leather: these plastic materials are derived from fossil fuels. As a global community, the IPCC states that we must shift beyond the use of all fossil fuels, and yet the fashion industry makes as much as 62% of all materials from petrochemicals. This means that as many as 342 million barrels of crude oil are used each year to produce plastic textiles. This impacts our shared planet, wildlife, and people – particularly those who are poorer and who are Black and Brown, in a form of environmental racism seen across the leather supply chain too.

What’s more, non-biodegradable materials like synthetics, as well as processed fur and leather, can contribute to pollution when garments, shoes and bags are no longer in use. Every time a garment like, say, a synthetic thermal top is washed, tiny fibers come off the fabric and are released into waterways, which ultimately connect to the ocean in many cases. It’s estimated that a whopping 1.5 million trillion microfibers are present in the ocean today. While it’s important to note that even non-plastic fibers from wool to cotton can become non-biodegradable microfibers too, if harmful dyes and processing substances are used, these materials have the capacity to be biodegradable, which is an important distinction. A fossil-fuel derived plastic fiber is never going to be a solution.

Plastic-free alternatives to leather

So what animal-free and plastic-free leather alternatives exist? And what brands are using them? Here are a few great options:

MIRUM

MIRUM is probably the most exciting leather alternative available today. Made by Natural Fiber Welding (NFW), the material is certified to be made wholly from bio-based content. Able to be customized for different brands based on how thick, textured, colored or flexible they want their material to be, MIRUM can be made from a variety of different materials. These include natural rubber (certified to be sourced responsibly), clays, plant-based oils and waxes, coconut husk fiber, cork powder sourced as a by-product from wine-stopper making, rice hulls, and more. Zero animal inputs and zero plastic make it better for the planet, and able to both compost and be recycled. If you’re looking for products made from MIRUM, it’s worth following NFW, as they share announcements on new brands regularly. Brave GentleMan offers some ethically made accessories and shoes from the material, while Melina Bucher offers a fairly produced handbag, and B-Corp Bellroy sells a simple wallet and other small goods.

Washable paper

While ‘paper’ probably makes you think of something thin, flimsy and easy to rip, washable paper is a different story. Durable, splash and tear resistant, washable paper sourced from certified responsible wood sources (look for the Forest Stewardship certification) can make for great bags and accessories. Treekind is a similar kind of material, made by a start-up which only uses fallen wood and leaves, as well as wasted Christmas trees to make their strong, sturdy and ultimately compostable material – just like washable paper. Want to get your hands on a woody alternative to animal and synthetic leather? UASHMAMA is a Tuscany based made-to-order label offering handbags, accessories and carry bags made from washable paper, offered in a variety of colourways and textures. Watch out for the small animal leather details on some products, though. Etsy is also full of small, local makers who use the material.

Cork

Another tree-based and compostable option, cork bark can be stripped from trunks without harming the tree. In fact, stripping cork bark can help trees sequester more carbon. To ensure total biodegradation, make sure to pick cork fabrics that are backed onto cotton, not a synthetic material. Able to be embossed to mimic all kinds of textures (think crocodile skin alternative!)cork leather alternatives are available at a wide range of Portuguese brands, as this is where many cork trees grow. For luxury-end cork fashion look to Parisian brand Laflore, which combines cork with gorgeous hardware detailing for versatile travel bags, and easy-access every day handbags. Murmali uses high quality cork for their tote bags, cark holders, and over the shoulder bags. Meanwhile, Jord offers cork backpacks, petite crossbody bags and other accessories in both feminine and masculine styles.

Plastic-free alternatives to wool

In the case of wool, there are a number of great plant-based, recycled and innovative alternatives that can be made into knitwear, base layers and other winter warmers – without plastic.

Tencel

A cellulosic material produced in a closed-loop, non-polluting system, Tencel is also made from sustainably sourced wood. Tencel is thermo-regulating and moisture-wicking, meaning it helps to keep you both warm and cool as you need – just like wool does. In fact, laboratory research has shown Tencel to have similar water vapor absorption capacities as wool, while drying three times faster. It’s also antimicrobial. Because of these factors, silky smooth Tencel is a comfortable thermal layer, and can also be knitted into sweaters. Tencel winter warmers can be found at Organic Basics, where you can find turtlenecks and base layers, as well as at Armed Angel. This German label offers cardigans, sweatsuits and other cozy goods in Tencel – just make sure you avoid their wool-blend options. Feeling crafty? Wool and the Gang have a selection of 100% Tencel yarns you can buy alongside knitting patterns!

Hemp

Hemp is a hardy, thermo-regulating and sustainable material that can grow large on a small amount of land. Often blended with other materials to be made into knitted fabrics and yarns, hemp can also be made into tweed. Opera Campi creates 100% hemp knitwear to order in Italy, using their own technology which makes hemp softer than usual. Though there are some wool blends to watch out for, this brand is leading the way for hemp knitwear. Another innovator, Australian brand Afends (use code SUSTAINABLYCHIC15 for 15% off full-priced items) has their own hemp farm which they make knitted pants, skirts, hoodies and ribbed long sleeves from.

Sustainably sourced cotton

Cotton can be sourced sustainably in a number of ways: when it’s recycled, organic, rain-fed, grown with more holistic management practices, and with fair trade labor. Cotton can be made into thick and chunky knits, with this thickness helping with warmth. The Knotty Ones uses fair trade cotton for their collection of beautiful knits, Willow and Claude knitwear and scarves are made from 100% Australian, transparent and responsibly sourced cotton, and People Tree offer a range of certified organic and fair trade cotton cardigans and other knits.

Plastic-free alternatives to fur

Fur is the animal-derived material most widely recognised as unacceptable, and it’s easy to avoid. If you are looking for fur alternatives, let’s talk about the available options.

Denim as a fur alternative

Ukrainian brand Ksenia Schnaider created ‘faux fur’ from vintage denim which they shred and remake into a fluffy, furry and beautiful material. This sort of innovation shows how limitless the possibilities are when it comes to sustainable, animal- and plastic-free materials, if we’re willing to think creatively, and support the brands doing the same.

Virgin plastic-free recycled faux fur

While ECOPEL has recently released GACHA, a biodegradable faux fur, it’s still very difficult to find such materials in brands. Until that changes, while it’s hard to find virgin plastic-free faux fur, there are faux furs made from 100% recycled synthetic sources – including from ocean-diverted plastics. Brands using these materials include London-based Jakke – which offers the best range of colorful, playful coats and jackets – as well as Ena Pelly, which offers sleek, elegant fur alternative designs.

Pre-loved faux fur

Of course, shopping pre-loved is always the most sustainable option, and there are plenty of vintage and pre-loved faux fur coats out there. These kinds of coats and jackets aren’t machine washed, helping to eliminate the microfiber waste problem. Making use of what’s already here on our finite planet is a great way to reduce your impact on the Earth and those we share it with.

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The Human Cost of Conventional Leather

There’s a lot of discussion about the environmental issues associated with producing leather, and whether or not we acknowledge it, we know that leather is the skin of slaughtered animals. Less attention is given to the plight of humans in many leather supply chains, who too often are exploited and harmed.

Collective Fashion Justice’s report series, ‘Under their skin’, opened with its first edition, ‘leather’s impact on people’. From Indigenous land rights issues wrapped up with deforestation for cattle rearing in leather supply chains to health issues faced by exploited tannery workers, forced labour on some cattle ranches as well as both psychological and physical harm facing slaughterhouse workers, there’s a lot to unpack. And that’s before we talk about environmental racism tied to pollution coming from slaughterhouses and tanneries. So let’s trace a conventional leather supply chain, and explore what’s happening to people both in and surrounding them:

Illustration Credit: Inma Hortas / Under Their Skin

Leather, deforestation and Indigenous land rights

Raising cattle for both meat and leather is extremely land intensive. In fact, while some industry advertising tells us that free-range, pasture systems are more sustainable, these systems require more land and so contribute to greater degradation and biodiversity destruction. Cattle rearing is responsible for 80% of deforestation in the Amazon, in Brazil, one of the leading leather producing countries in the world. In fact, raising cattle for production eats up more land than any other human activity across the globe.

Clearly, deforestation and the loss of natural environments is bad for the planet. But what’s it got to do with people? In Brazil, the leather industry has been complicit in deforesting stolen Indigenous land, harming the Karipuna, Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau, Rio Ouro Preto, Rio Jacy-Paraná and Piripkura peoples.

Harming native lands harms the people who belong to that land. As Waorani warrior and leader Nemonte Nenquimo said, “The Amazon rainforest is my home… the land grabbers are cutting down primary forest so that the cattle can graze… When you say that you are urgently looking for climate solutions, yet continue to build a world economy based on extraction and pollution, we know you are lying because we are the closest to the land, and the first to hear her cries… The Earth does not expect you to save her, she expects you to respect her. And we, as Indigenous peoples, expect the same.”

But, as the report notes, this problem is not exclusive to Brazil and Brazilian leather supply chains: across Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina, the United States and Australia, these industries have and continue to rob Indigenous communities of their land, violating international human rights law.

Unfortunately, even the Leather Working Group certification, considered the ‘best’ in the industry, still permits deforestation for leather. Leather supply chains can be very difficult to trace, making this a problem many brands are unable to begin solving. Leather, like viscose and other wood cellulose fibres are high risk for deforestation and associated human rights violations, so we need to be very wary of them.

Farm workers

‘Tier four’ of fashion supply chains is where raw materials are produced. In the case of plant and animal-derived materials, that means farms. Cattle farms and ranches are very difficult to trace. In fact, Fashion Revoltuon’s 2022 Fashion Transparency Index, which investigated the 250 largest brands and retailers in the industry, found that just 12% of these fashion companies disclosed where they source their raw materials. This lack of transparency is a real problem, because exploitation runs rife in hiding.

Cattle farms in leather supply chains unfortunately can, like with other farms in fashion supply chains, be run with exploitative and even forced labour. Forced labour, unjust payment and the exploitation of workers has been documented on cattle farms across Brazil, the United States, Australia, Paraguay, Vietnam and a number of other countries. JBS, the company which owns a huge portion of the world’s slaughterhouses and tanneries, has been ‘confirmed to source cattle from supplier farms that made use of workers kept in slavery-like conditions’.

Too, working on a cattle farm supplying fashion brands can cause some workers serious mental distress. Routine and legal practices on cattle farms include cutting or burning off the budding horns of calves without pain relief, as well as other painful mutilation practices, in some instances including searing hot branding. Wouldn’t want to do this to cows? You’re not alone: “here I have to switch my love for animals a bit off, you have to if you work here”, and “you should not feel bad for them. If you have a thought about that you can’t be in the industry, you can’t feel bad for them, you just can’t”. These are the words of two workers on free-range cattle stations.

Fashion brands working to reduce the suffering of cows on farms implement policies which demand pain relief for mutilation practices, but with such little transparency across all farms in the leather supply chain (often numerous farms are involved in one supply chain, thanks to the use of ‘background’ and ‘breeder’ farms), it can be difficult for these policies to have a real impact. Without traceability, it’s very challenging for fashion brands to make change, or know they need to.

While some farms fortunately don’t carry out these cruel procedures without pain relief, in every leather supply chain, cattle are sent to be killed. For Jay Wilde, who ran a small-scale farm before a change of heart, sending cows he had grown to care for to their slaughter was “soul destroying”, and felt like playing a “dirty trick”.

Slaughterhouse workers

These mental health impacts for workers in leather supply chains only worsen in slaughterhouses. We don’t often think of abattoirs as a part of the fashion industry, but the valuable co-product of leather could not exist without them.

Slaughterhouse workers are more likely to suffer with something called perpetration-induced traumatic stress. This is similar to PTSD, but with one major difference: PITS is brought about by causing significant trauma to someone else, and feeling trauma yourself as a result. As with PTSD, symptoms include anxiety, panic, depression, paranoia, a sense of disintegration and dissociation, amongst other symptoms Yale researchers referred to as ‘the psychological consequences of the act of killing’.

This violence only spreads further, as research has suggested that communities surrounding slaughterhouses can face increased rates of violent crime, considered a ‘spillover’ in the psyche of workers paid to kill for a living.

Slaughterhouse line speeds are also increasing in many places around the world, increasing already seriously high risks of physical injury. Did you know that Human Rights Watch once referred to the factory job as the most dangerous in the United States?

While speed rates can be reduced, safer equipment can be used and training can help to reduce injuries, the psychological aspects of slaughterhouse work are inherent to the job, and unable to be avoided in leather production.

Tannery workers

Perhaps most commonly thought of when we think about the people who make leather are tannery workers. China and India transform more skins into leather through tanning than any other country, with many skins both produced onshore and imported into these nations for processing.

In both of these countries, serious health hazards and exploitation are faced by workers and those living nearby tanneries. In China, the environmental pollution surrounding some industrial areas with tanneries is so bad that even the local government have referred to these places as ‘cancer villages’. In India too, as much as 40 million litres of untreated tannery wastewater full of carcinogenic substances like chromium and formaldehyde are dumped into the Ganga River. Every single day. This waterway is considered sacred by local people, who rely on it to live.

Inside these tanneries, poor payment and child labour have been documented. Too, peer-reviewed, global studies have shown that workers face far higher risks of developing diseases including lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, skin cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer and soft tissue sarcoma, to name a few.

While these problems are exceptionally bad in areas with less economic advantage, as a result of both environmental racism (where wealthier countries export their more environmentally destructive and health harming industries to poorer, normally non-white areas) and outdated infrastructure, many issues persist in wealthier nations.

The ‘Made in Italy’ label evokes images of luxury in many of our minds, but a report funded by the European Commission shows a different story: tannery workers in the country exploit migrant workers who also face serious health risks due to their exposure to toxic chemicals. Too, these workers are often denied fair, living wages, while also being offered unjust working contracts which leave them vulnerable to exploitation. One tannery worker quoted in the report, said “we’re like lemons, they squeeze us and then throw us away”, while another, who spoke anonymously, said “you’re practically a salve – they say – if one week you complain or mess up, they send you away, they have you by the throat”.

Again, the Leather Working Group certification fails to protect tannery workers from this kind of exploitation, despite being promoted by brands as assuring ‘responsible’ and ‘ethical’ leather. There are a number of brands that ensure safer and more fair working standards for tannery workers, and this is deeply important. There are also tanneries which better manage the chemical substances used in the process, better protecting surrounding communities from pollution.

Garment workers

Finally, once skins are fully transformed into leather, they are made into jackets, shoes, bags and other accessories. Here is where we meet garment workers. Whether clothes are being made from leather, an animal free alternative to it, cotton, polyester or any other material, the vast majority of people who make our clothes are not paid fairly or treated with respect.

Some estimates suggest that just 2% of garment workers are paid a living wage, with the rest receiving ‘poverty pay’ so minimal they are unable to afford all of their basic necessities. While we expect this from fast fashion brands selling clothing so cheap it would be impossible to pay everyone involved in making them properly, unjust payment occurs in luxury fashion, too. In fact, luxury brands such as Burberry and Chloé have faced legal trouble in the past, when it was found that their expensive leather bags were being made in Italian sweatshops. People working to make products for the brands were being paid less than $3.5USD each hour – for bags worth over a thousand dollars, if not more, in some cases.

The fashion industry as a whole will never overcome these issues unless it recognises that dignity and life must be prioritised before profit. While there is promising improvement, and plenty of brands working to make clothes more ethically, there’s also a whole lot of room for major improvement.

More ethical and sustainable alternatives to leather

Some of the human exploitation found in leather supply chains can certainly be avoided, and every person deserves safe and fair work, no matter what work they are involved in.

Not all cattle farms used forced labour, there are tanneries which provide proper safety gear to the people working with dangerous substances, and leather which does not come from deforested land which contribute to the forced displacement of Indigenous communities. Every reduction of suffering is an improvement to be pleased about, however, some of the issues wrapped up in leather production cannot be avoided.

Even when putting aside the harm to animals, or the environmental impacts of leather, the trauma associated with transforming animals into materials is largely inseparable from the process. These are not small or insignificant issues, and if you’re looking to avoid contributing to them, there are plenty of great alternatives to leather available!

Look out for more sustainable alternatives to leather, like recycled materials, 100% biodegradable and natural MIRUM, AppleSkin, Desserto, Piñatex, VEGEA and other options made from a blend of plant-based and synthetic materials, as well as totally natural choices like cork and washable paper.

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The Best Sustainable Toothpastes for Your Health

The impact of something as seemingly small as which toothpaste we choose is easily lost amongst the noise of life. Yet, different toothpastes might have vastly different impacts on our personal health, as well as on the environment we all share. So what kind of toothpaste is best, and which ingredients should we avoid?

There are plenty of ingredients in toothpaste, and we often don’t think about them much at all. Not only can toothpaste be tested on animals, some include ground up animal bone meal, glycerin from animal fat, and bee pollen. Toothpastes can even contain tiny pieces of plastic, and chemicals which wear down and hurt the inside of our mouths.

First, let’s look at what toothpaste ingredients (as well as those listed above) are worth avoiding, so that we can consider which toothpastes are better for us all, in an informed way. There are both harmful and ineffective toothpastes available today -- some chemical filled and some natural. We need to find a happy balance, with toothpaste which is healthy for our body and planet, while actually working to protect our teeth.

Which toothpaste ingredients are worth avoiding, for personal health?

SLS, or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate:

SLS is a foaming agent used in a lot of shampoos, toothpastes and other foamy personal care products. This ingredient is one that dentists widely agree should be avoided.

This is because SLS can cause canker sores, with studies showing that SLS irritates the soft tissue of the mouth by reducing its protective barrier, as well as by inflaming existing sores, and stopping them from healing.

Toothpaste doesn’t need to be foamy in order for it to be effective, so SLS is worth saying goodbye to!

Artificial Colorings:

Artificial colorings in toothpaste, with names that include ‘FD&C Green No. 3’, ‘D&C Yellow No. 10’, and FD&C Blue No. 1’ are reportedly cytotoxic, meaning that they can ‘kill good cells’, according to renowned dentist, Dr Maddahi.

Typically, there are over 70 different types of bacteria in your mouth at one time, and these mostly occur naturally, without causing any harm. Just some bacteria are considered ‘bad’, contributing to dental decay and gum disease. Stripping back your mouth to a point where nothing can live is not a good thing.

What’s more, these colorings are synthetically produced. FD&C Blue No.1 for example is produced from petroleum, according to The Environmental Working Group. There is some suggestion that such synthetic food dyes can cause a host of different health issues, and there’s no need for toothpaste to be colored for it to work. Best to avoid.

Chemical Preservatives:

Similar to artificial colorings, chemical preservatives like sodium benzoate, methyl paraben, and ethyl paraben can reportedly by cytotoxic, impacting oral health. For the same reasons as listed above, these could be worth avoiding for your health.

Which toothpaste ingredients are worth avoiding, for both personal and planetary health?

It’s not only how your toothpaste is packaged -- whether in a recyclable tube, or in a glass jar (hello, toothpaste tablets) -- but what is in your toothpaste, that can impact the planet. When our environment is harmed, we are, too. So what ingredients are worth avoiding, for the planet?

While banned in some areas, microbeads are still in many toothpastes. Restrictions around the use of microbeads are less stringent than they seem, with many Governments simply supporting a voluntary phase out period.

But what are microbeads? These are tiny, manufactured plastic particles that are under 5mm in diameter. These microbeads don’t biodegrade or dissolve in water, yet they are found in some toothpastes, exfoliates and other personal care items. When washed down our drains, these microbeads are eaten by birds, fish and other marine creatures, harming them all.

In the case of toothpaste, microbeads -- and other kinds of plastic polymers -- are used for abrasion, though they’re not needed for this. Baking soda is commonly used in toothpaste for this same purpose, and is largely used to a safe degree -- because too much abrasion is not a good thing!

So what toothpastes are good, full of ingredients that are not only non-harmful, but beneficial?

Of course, we’re not only looking to avoid harm to our teeth when we brush them, but to actually help keep them healthy. Below are some great toothpastes which are not tested on animals, which are free from animal-derived ingredients, microbeads, SLS, and other noted harmful substances, like artificial colorings.

As much as possible, we’ve kept environmentally friendly dental packaging in mind, but we also need to prioritise toothpaste that is actually beneficial to dental health -- and many more eco-friendly toothpastes haven’t yet been proven to be so good. In many places, you can’t recycle toothpaste packaging through your curbside bin, but you can through specialist recycling programs, like TerraCycle, where you send off your tubes in the mail. Too, more and more brands are starting to introduce more easily recyclable, and even recycled packaging.

Our Top Picks for Eco-Friendly, Sustainable Toothpastes:

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1) by Humankind

This brand is a favorite of the creator of Sustainably Chic Natalie. She loves that the toothpaste tablets are made with safe, natural ingredients, and there is NO single-use plastic involved! Just crush them in your mouth and start brushing. This zero-waste toothpaste offers refills that ship with a compostable pouch made from kraft paper and a sugar-based lining. By Humankind also offsets 100% of their carbon footprint by investing in strategic forest preservation projects.

Shop By humankind Toothpaste

2) Dr Bronner’s All-One Toothpaste

This toothpaste comes in a recyclable box and tube, and is free from synthetic detergents and foaming agents, as well as from artificial colors, flavors, preservatives and sweeteners.

It’s made up of 70% certified organic ingredients, and many certified fair trade ingredients, like coconut oil, aloe leaf juice, baking soda, and xanthan gum.

Shop Dr Bronner's Toothpaste

3) Hello

With both fluoride and fluoride free options, Hello toothpastes also include ‘sustainably sourced’ ingredients like white turmeric, coconut-based glycerin, sorbitol, hemp seed oil, hydrated silica, calcium, aloe vera and more.

Hello toothpastes never include SLS, animal testing or animal-derived ingredients, triclosan, peroxide, and artificial dyes. They also offer tablet toothpaste!

Shop Hello Toothpaste

4) BOKA

This toothpaste is free from artificial flavors and colours, parabens, and SLS.

The key ingredient that makes this toothpaste unique and effective is called nano-hydroxyapatite.

This ingredient ‘has remarkable remineralizing effects on initial lesions of enamel’. This cruelty-free toothpaste is science-based.

Shop Boka Toothpaste

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5) Risewell

Another scientifically backed toothpaste that makes use of hydroxyapatite for the purpose of enamel protection and remineralisation, is RiseWell. Like all of these other more health-conscious toothpastes, RiseWell is free from SLS, artificial colors and flavors, as well as Propylene glycol and other cheap ingredients. RiseWell notes that too often, toothpaste brands seeking to move away from the ‘norm’ remove ‘bad’ ingredients, but don’t replace them with anything effective. They’re working to change this.

Shop Risewell Toothpaste

6) Attitude

ATTITUDE® - an EWG-approved brand - has been on a mission to reduce its use of disposable packaging. Therefore, when it came to their toothpaste, they wanted to avoid unnecessary packaging and use biodegradable packaging tubes that don’t come in a box.

Find fluoride-free toothpaste, and toothpaste for kids! All are vegan, and paraben/alcohol-free.

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7) Tom’s of Maine

This brand has a page on their website dedicated to their stewardship model, which outlines the ways in which they ensure that their company doesn’t cause harm to the planet or those on it.

Such efforts include focussing on more sustainable packaging, ensuring no animal testing, being mostly vegan, and sourcing ingredients which are natural, sustainable, & free from harm to people or the planet.

Shop Tom's of Maine Toothpaste

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8) Dr. Brite

The toothpaste made by this company is Environmental Working Group certified as a safe toothpaste, which is also safe to swallow -- isn’t it wild that some toothpastes aren’t?! Using aloe vera juice, coconut oil, calcium carbonate, tea tree leaf oil and other ingredients, this toothpaste is vegan, cruelty-free, and free from artificial flavors and colors, from SLS, phthalate, parabens and sulfates. With toothpaste options for kids, those wanting extra whitening, & who need extra sensitive paste, this brand has a solid range.

Shop Dr. Brite Toothpaste

9) Kiss My Face

‘Cruelty free and clean since 1983’, this brand has both fluoride and non-fluoride options, with all their pastes being free from SLS, parabens and phthalates.

You can find different toothpastes for your preference like Super White, Triple Action and Sensitive. They also have a berry toothpaste for kids! The majority of their products are vegan, too.

Shop Kiss My Face Toothpaste