![]() 10 Much of the world’s fur is processed in China, where environmental regulations are often ignored. 9 Various salts-along with ammonia, formaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and other chromates and bleaching agents-are used to preserve and dye fur. Once an animal has been slaughtered and skinned, his or her fur is treated with a soup of toxic chemicals to “convert the putrefactive raw skin into a durable material” (i.e., to keep it from rotting in the buyer’s closet). 7,8 Why Finished Fur Is Anything but ‘Natural’įur is only “natural” when it’s on the animal born with it. In Denmark, where more than 19 million minks are killed for their fur each year, more than 8,000 pounds of ammonia is released into the atmosphere annually. 4 Over the span of five years, studies of lakes and rivers in Nova Scotia found “degradation in water quality to be primarily a result of high phosphorus inputs resulting from releases emanating from mink farming operations.” 5 According to the World Bank, the hazardous process of fur dressing is so problematic that it is now ranked as one of the world’s five worst industries for toxic-metal pollution.” 6 Raising animals for their fur also pollutes the air. 3 When a Washington state mink farm was charged with polluting a nearby creek, the fecal coliform levels measured in the water were as much as 240 times in excess of the legal limit. 2 That adds up to millions of pounds of feces produced annually by U.S. 1 These farms can house thousands of animals, and as with other factory farms, they are designed to maximize profits-with little regard for the environment or animals’ well-being.Įach mink skinned by fur farmers produces about 40 pounds of feces in his or her lifetime. How Fur Production Harms the EnvironmentĮighty-five percent of the fur industry’s skins come from animals on fur factory farms. ![]() In addition to causing the suffering and deaths of millions of animals each year, the production of wool, fur, and leather contributes to climate change, land devastation, pollution, and water contamination. There is nothing “natural” about clothing made from animals’ skin or fur. ![]()
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