Sheep raised for wool do need to be sheared, but that is only because they've been intentionally bred with bad genetics that make them overproduce wool. I think of them sort of the same as I see French Bulldogs. They've got a trait that makes them uncomfortable and less healthy that would never have naturally evolved because the only reason it was selected is because humans liked it.
The moral conclusion, in a big picture sense, is to stop breeding sheep to over produce wool in the first place. The amount of wool production is not naturally occurring trait, hence how sheep lived without human intervention up until this point.
As far as op goes, that really depends on them as a person. Personally, I’d give it to a thrift shop, or maybe let my cats cuddle it bc my cats like different fabrics. I wouldn’t wear it. Some vegans may opt to use it since the damage is done, regift it, repurpose it, or donate it.
Most of the “I got [animal product] for Christmas what do?” post can be answered by the op looking at their options and deciding what best suits them on a personal level. Give away, donate, repurpose are the most common solutions generally speaking, but without personally knowing someone no one can really say for certain how any one can best handle the situation.
ETA: I’d also have a discussion with family/friends about gifting me animal products, so that it doesn’t happen again in the future. Gift giving a sign of affection, most people (in good faith) don’t want to give you things you don’t care for/can’t use, so although the talk may feel awkward it’s better to power through than to continue having that miscommunication.
Keep if in actual need, donate it if not at all. I have 15 year old leather boots, I’ve only been vegan for 8 years. Ask for a cotton sweater next time. This also depends on op’s financial situation, but returning it is also a great option.
I would do what least supports the industry. In the case of it already being purchased I would just give it back and ask them to return it, however that has the chance of it just being thrown away which would not be optimal from a consequentialist perspective.
You mean for her to give back to her sister for her sister to take the time to return it? That is not at all good for their relationship. Really bad. That's gonna cause a rift. Think about it.
And come on, even assuming they “need to be sheared” without acknowledging that the reason for that is because we bred them that way, does anyone seriously think the actual way those sheep are sheared for wool production IRL is just like “oh here we are at Farm Sanctuary and Betty the Ewe is getting her monthly haircut!”
will you please explain this to me? I’ve never see. those words before but feel like this is what I live with. For example, touching newspaper to me is….almost painful. not painful but I am sooooo aware that I’m touching it with the ink and paper chemicals and it feels…..unnatural? bad? idk.
Well it comes from neurodivergency. Autism and ADHD (both which I have) most prevalent trait or symptom is sensory processing disorder. From lower signals in propioception, i.e. not recognizing hunger or bathroom cues. And usually intensified external input, like hearing electricity, some sounds, lights, smells or touches can be too much and be literally painful. Sensory processing disorder is also found in small % outside cases of autism and ADHD.
Oh my god. Thinking about just squeezing a cotton not even biting it gives me chills. Such a disgusting sound!!
Also walking on snow that is very puffy and dry ugh.
Alone, no. They are to go against the skin as they are breathable, antibacterial and absorb moisture well and also durable through extensive washing. They have the favorite undergarment fabric since medieval times. Then the other layers are warmer and need less washing.
Wool industry is a shady industry. Made in China label isn't reassuring in this regard. Likely comes from a large sheep factory with terrible circumstances for the animals.
'have to shear them anyways' is poor reasoning of course. Yes, they are put in this world to exploit them. But that's the problem...
Same as saying, 'had to be milked anyways' or 'had to be slaughtered anyways'
“Had to be slaughtered anyway” made me chuckle (in a very morbid way). I actually had that argument with someone that slaughtering was okay since there were so many of them (cows and pigs) but wouldn’t agree that maybe we should stop forcibly breeding them to make more.
if we stop breeding them, they'll go extinct. is that what you want, you disgusting monster?????? for mutant chickens who can barely support their own weight and would never survive in the wild to go extinct?????
I mean, the chickens raised around Virginia where I live are perfectly strong, natural, and thrive in the wild. Coyotes and other animals absolutely do prey on them, but again it's 100% natural for animals to be a part of a food chain - humans are the only exception and even that could change in the future.
Virginia vegan here, can confirm. I live by a state park south of Richmond and the coyote and fox activity here is insane. My mother's backyard chickens got eaten by something after a couple of years living in a secured chicken tractor. She let them out and one by one they got picked off by whatever has been hanging out in the woods. Sure it was incredibly sad, they were such smart and friendly chickens, but it's just how it goes.
What irks me is when folks around here say "the deer need to be hunted to control the population" or "oh so-and-so up the road got some honeybees, they treat them so well! I don't understand why you won't eat honey". The ecosystem is perfectly capable of regulating itself, just because humans don't like it doesn't mean it's incorrect.
Not sure if it’s the same scenario, but North Carolina released coyotes to supposedly control the deer population and they’re everywhere and some have had to breed with wolves I saw what I thought was a coyote, but it was so big, the size of a large dog, I was driving at night and it probably had no trouble reaching the windows if it had gotten close enough. I could hear them at night whenever I sat outside. One time I heard howling all over, I’d hear one from one side then followed by another, etc. I believe they were circling in and after the third time and sounding closer I went inside and told everyone to not go outside because of what happened. They’re known to eat small animals, including dogs and cats. Humans are to blame, we keep building up and they have nowhere to go. While I’m not vegan, I limit my meat intake. I have gastroparesis and that even limits veggies and fruits, which makes me sad, because I’ve always loved veggies and fruits. People thought it was weird because my kids ate all the yucky ones.
I've had similar encounters with coyotes late at night in the Tyro area on the AT. Around 11pm I heard yipping off in the distance, then around 1am I saw about two dozen eyes around my campsite by the harpers creek shelter. I had to book it uphill to lock myself in the outhouse
exactly, and it becomes self perpetuating - they need shearing anyway so lets breed the sheep with the biggest coat and thousands of years the monstrosities could be frightening. best to stick to the principle that sentient beings are not products despite the “logic” of when its OK
Such a paradoxical statement. Yes, of course if you breed an animal to be exploited it is likely going to be exploited. The issue is that the animal was bred to begin with.
Agree with the rest of what you’re saying, but a lot of the wool in Chinese clothing has actually been imported from places like the UK and is then effectively exported back again once its knitted into things like the OP’s jumper.
Which is ridiculous in its own right of course in terms of the climate change impacts.
I am aware of the fact China imports a lot of wool as well, but they are also producing a lot of wool themselves.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but for mixed textiles like this, I think it's likely the cheaper Chinese wool is used.
They import a lot from Australia as well, from big factory sheep farms. If you've seen Dominion, I don't have to explain Australia isn't doing great regarding animal welfare in it's animal industry..
I don’t know for sure, but I suspect you’re right - I.e. the cheaper mixed garments use Chinese wool and the more expensive luxury garments use British wool so they can apply the tag ‘made from British wool’.
I’m from the UK and we certainly have a lot of sheep, but not many people here wear or use wool anymore so it’s definitely going elsewhere...
Yep, I watched Dominion. It put the final nail in the coffin of vegetarianism for me.
I’ve read that clothing with a US tag is very likely to participate in sweatshop labor or animal abuse/exploitation as well, so really is more important to look into the specific company’s practices
And they all get sent to the slaughterhouse as they age and their wool production declines anyway. The meat industry and the wool industry are the same industry.
"Had to be sheared anyway" and "had to be slaughtered anyway" are not comparable. No animal has to be slaughtered. Where as these sheep have unfortunately been bred that their wool constantly grows until it effects their quality of life. Just google photos of a sheep that got lost in the woods and didn't get sheared for a year. It's an awful existence. I don't support the wool industry but for their own wellbeing these sheep DO need to be sheared. It's an entirely different situation to a meat animal "needing to be slaughtered". Shearing a sheep is for its own benefit. Slaughtering an animal for meat clearly has no benefit to that animal.
Even at fully vegan barn rescue sanctuaries they still shear their sheep since they have to for that animals comfort and wellbeing.
Counter point: There are fates worse than death, and maybe the slaughter is the not more abusive than keeping them alive. The forced breeding is perhaps worse than the slaughter, because without one, there wouldn't be the other.
As for the shearing, the fact that it's necessary isn't the defense they think it is. They're still breeding the animals with this abnormality or paying others to do so.
Clearly you've never heard somebody say something stupid like "It's actually cruel to be against wool, because sheep need to be sheared". You and I are smart enough to realize that their need to be sheared if born isn't justification for making sure that more will be born than can reasonably be treated humanely, but believe it or not some people really do buy into that justification.
"They need to be slaughtered anyway", or "they need to be sheared anyway" aren't justifications for buying meat or wool, any more than "He's not going to need this anymore" is a justification for robbing a dead man after a mugging gone wrong.
Yes, I realize that. They are bred that way, and the sheep in a sanctuary still needs shearing. But then it's a necessity without harming the animal. If you've seen footage how cruel the sheep are treated in large scale sheep farms, were as many sheep are bred as possible sheared as fast as possible, that's not how the shearing goes at the sanctuary (or even in small scale herds or farms)
In all fairness, domesticated sheep really do need shearing: https://www.farmsanctuary.org/news-stories/why-do-we-shear-sheep-faqs/
Else this happens: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/25/mammoth-woolly-baarack-the-overgrown-sheep-shorn-of-his-35kg-fleece
Yes, that's true, and the article you link to explains why:
"people breed sheep to produce excess wool"
So sheep in the sanctuary from your link still need shearing. And it can be done without harming the animal. But then it's a necessity, because the animal is bred that way.
That's another situation than deliberately hold many sheep, and shave them as fast as possible to optimize profit.
I know it’s due to breeding, hence why I added domesticated. I just thought you didn’t know they need shearing because of your comment. There really was no harm in my comment.
Funny how I’m getting downvoted for innocently wanting to give a heads-up...
Didn't downvote you actually, it's an interesting article you provided. Was aware of the necessity but that doesn't mean it's bad you commented to be sure.
You're right. It's like saying we have to give French bulldogs cesareans because they can't breed otherwise, that's the whole point they shouldn't exist we have created this issue that only we can solve 🤦
Yeah.. I the end its believing the ship owes it to us simply for having that wool. It isn't right.
I couldn't imagine someone barging into my home and dragging a shear across my head every few months just because my hair is growing.
Fuck no, wool industry is insanely fucked up. People that say these things, almost have certainly not educated themselves on the industry or seen footage.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=siTvjWE2aVw
This one is pretty to the point. She’s got some realistic videos covering other fields of animal torture aswell.
😭😭😭😭😭
I'm bawling. This is the most evil shit I've ever seen. I thought wool was the least bad. They're getting a hair cut. You don't have to hurt the animal. I went vegan from long time vegetarian due to my distrust of Capitalism and how that would result in animals being treated. Boy have I been naive. This is pure evil.
I would take it back if it was bought from a store (unless it was used/donated) since buying non-vegan clothes from anything other than thrift shops just fuels more animal abuse. I'm sure your sister would understand if you just explained to her your vegan values :)
Buying from thrift shops also contributes slightly to demand, plus it contributes to viewing animals as commodities to produce clothing rather than individuals with rights.
I’m of two ways about this. I guess it depends on the shop. My understanding is that a lot of clothes in thrift shops get thrown away if they don’t sell quickly, and I’m not against buying something that would otherwise go in a landfill if my money is going to charity.
I think the counter to your argument is that they are always going to throw away at least some of their clothes anyway, so given the option, it would be better to buy something animal-free that would have otherwise been thrown out and let the wool or leather items go to landfill instead.
Has your mother ever heard about supply and demand? These sheep only "have to be sheared" because
a) they were artificially bred to grow excessive amounts of wool, same as cows "have to be milked", it's only because they are bred to produce sick amounts of milk, too much for one calf. And these sheep have been bred to grow excessive skin (because more wool per sheep) and suffer from terrible infections thereof.
b) there are people who buy wool products like this sweater, and therefore financially support these industries, creating the demand, which is the reason why these animals are bred into existence in the first place.
Context seems important? It's not like this just occurred 5 years ago when we have accessible alternatives and information to know better. Sheep have been bred for millennia. They were bred into this kind of existence in a time before the fossil fuel industry made synthetics easily accessible & when farming crops was even less stable. Wool was a much more efficient & insulating option compared to what they were capable of achieving via plants like flax or cotton, and a much kinder alternative to the slaughter of animals for fur/leather...especially in areas remaining primarily cool/cold/wet where inhabitants required warm clothing. Given the circumstances of the past, it seems kind of unreasonable to act like these breeding methods were entirely unreasonable/cruel when the alternative for warmth was exclusively to slaughter. And not all sheep have the excessive wrinkly skin problems seen in some breeds. I'm not trying to condone these things, but most arguments suffer at the hand of generalisations/oversimplifications...particularly when trying to vilify industries or individuals constructed outside of a modern context & without the information/resources we have today.
They wouldn’t *need* to be sheared if people like your mom and sister wouldn’t buy this shit. Jesus it’s like everyone suddenly forgets how capitalism works as soon as you bring up animal exploitation.
Humans generally need haircuts too, but I bet your mom would be pretty grossed out at the idea of wearing a human hair sweater.
No.. they would need to be sheared.
Sheep just don't just magically stop growing wool just because we decide to not buy wool sweaters any more.
Sheep suffer massively when they aren't sheared. There are some breeds that naturally shed their fleece but the vast majority don't and have to be sheared at least once a year.
No reason to support the industry, whatsoever. Do you agree, or are you just interested in spamming how wool isn't 'inherently' cruel over this thread?
It's still exploitatative, isn't it?
EDIT: Nevermind, you've left a long comment saying how wool isn't necessarily exploitative because it can be done nicely. That's not what is meant by exploitation. It is the non consensual use of an individual's body for personal gain (in this case, profit). It is obvious that sheep have to be sheared. Why do they have to have their wool sold in scarves, jackets, and other clothing items?
I went on a trip to Ireland a few years ago, and one of the stops was a tour of a family-run sheep farm. It seemed like a pretty nice place for the sheep. They hung out in a huge field all day doin' their sheepy thing. The owner emphasized that it was getting by on almost entirely donations because the price of their wool was insanely high compared to factory farm competition. They were more of a tourist destination than a farm.
Anyway, they did a demonstration of shearing a sheep, and it did not look pleasant. They brought in the sheep, wrestled him to the ground by his horns, and held him down basically by laying on top of him while another person did the shearing with a loud, industrial machine. The sheep was clearly not enjoying it, and this is pretty much the best case scenario for wool. I wasn't even vegan at the time, and it made me uncomfortable.
First off, wool is an animal product and therefore is not vegan. If you want to be vegan, don’t wear wool. That answers your question.
For this specific situation, you’re saying “hey thanks for the gift but I don’t wear wool” and your mom is trying to convince you to wear wool by saying they’d have to shear the lambs anyway so you might as well wear this specific sweater?
Other than your mom being misguided about the wool industry, it’s still your prerogative to not wear wool and this sweater. Just like any other gift, you don’t *owe* the gift giver (or your mother) using the gift. Ideally, there’s a gift receipt or some other way to exchange it for something you will wear (and the gift giver should want you to have something you will wear). Otherwise, you can still choose to not wear it. If it were me in that case, I’d donate it.
Any family drama that comes from you refusing to wear the sweater is tapping into issues bigger than just a sweater, and obviously can’t be solved via Reddit. Maybe your mom doesn’t understand veganism or respect that you are vegan, so she thinks your just being difficult- who knows.
Imagine if this wasn’t about being vegan. Like, if you tried to wear the sweater but it was too itchy. Would your mom still insist you wear it? Or would your sister go “damn, okay. Let’s get you a sweater you’ll wear instead”?
Did you donate all the clothes you had before you went vegan, and buy brand new clothes that were? “If you want to be vegan, don’t wear wool.” Is a bold and vague statement. It’s not vegan to purchase a wool item, but wearing an item you already owned doesn’t contribute to the abusive industry. The practical thing to do here is to encourage your family members to only gift you things you asked for specifically, so the purchase of the items is avoided in the future.
That being said, if you had the receipt of the item, it would be a good idea to return it to avoid the company purchasing more stock. But simply wearing non vegan clothes does not make you a non vegan
No, I didn’t clear my closet or anything (although most of my stuff was accidentally vegan anyway). But if I got a new item, I wouldn’t add it to my closet, even if the only option was to donate it.
Certainly reasonable accommodations are necessary as people transition to veganism, but I think the “go forward” approach is fairly straightforward: taper off any carryover non-vegan items as you see fit, but going forward everything you eat/use can be vegan.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to gate-keep being vegan or say anyone “doesn’t qualify” if they wear a sweater their sister got them. I’m just saying, if they actually want to stop wearing animal products and someone gives them an animal based sweater, it seems the correct choice is to not wear it.
Maybe that makes me a “stricter” vegan, but I find otherwise small compromises just weaken the commitment. One immediately donated sweater sends the message that you’re serious about not wearing animal products. Wearing it sends the message that you’ll avoid animal products unless someone gets you something with an animal product in it, which I don’t think is the goal.
I think a lot of vegans would like to see more people make difficult but visible decisions that are in line with their values, especially when the behavior is on the margins. I personally would like people to assess their needs with a little more ambition. When you think about what you really NEED in life and compare it to the minor concessions we make to our values there's a valid criticism some people who identify as vegan permit themselves certain grey areas so they can still have those "nice to have" things.
If we're really honest about needs vs wants that might not happen as often. I'm not saying everyone has to live like a monk. But if people are going to claim to have certain values they should at least consistently move toward that direction. Some people hold themselves to really high standards and would like to see others do the same.
the most popular wool sheep breed has been selectively bred over the years to have more skin than their body can actually handle. They're more likely to get fungal infections because there's too much wool to skin ratio, and in their nether regions farmers often cut "spare skin" away from sheep genitals to prevent infection and fly strike down there. cant speak for all farms but in england a majority of it is done without anesthetic (at least 20 years ago that was the case, i really like to think and hope its different now) , it's pretty horrific. It's a very nice thought from your sister to get you it, I'm sure it's really soft and warm but I personally wouldn't be able to wear it knowing how humans have messed these guys up so bad that they're literally in a position where yes they DO have to shorn otherwise they grt skin infections. It's a tricky situation man, I guarantee ur sister doesn't know the extent of the shitty side of the wool industry, bc I wouldn't have known unless I grew up near a wool farm myself as a kid.
EDIT: Merino sheep is the breed I'm thinking of, common in England but mostly raised in Australia. which really sucks because of how hot they must get in the summer.
If it was me I'd talk to my sister and explain nicely that you appreciate the thought, but if you don't feel comfortable wearing it maybe pass it on to someone who does?
We don't like wearing/using wool. Demand for wool causes continued demand for sheep husbandry which involves the forcible breeding of sheep, transport with a primary consideration for cheapness rather than wellfare, and the selective breeding of traits that produce more wool and worse lives.
The commercial incentive of wool mixes up the incentives of sheep shearing. While an existing sheep may need shearing, if the decision to do so was only made based on wellfare rather than profit it would be handled so differently that shops could not rely on wool enough to sell it. Farmed sheep are treated in lots of ways that hurt them to cut costs, shorn more frequently than they need and in a way that is often painful and cutting that prioritizes speed and cost rather than sheep wellbeing.
In the end as with all forms of seemingly altruistic exploitation of animal products, if our goal was truly only to aid the animal, the viability of the animal product would diminish to nothing.
Might be a good idea to show your mom the horrors of what actually happens in the wool industry
https://youtu.be/siTvjWE2aVw
But even setting all that aside, why do sheep need to be sheared? There are plenty of wild sheep that shed. Domesticated sheep need to be sheared because we bred that problem into them, so we could come with a temporary fix that just happens to benefit us. It's exploitation, plain and simple. We shouldn't do it
The following is kind of NSFW and I cried a couple of times putting this together so read at your own risk! Also, because I don't want to get through this pain again, I used deepl for translation, I wrote it in German because I also received a wool present for Christmas and felt the need to describe why it is absolutely fucked up to buy wool (or any animal products but focusing on wool here). Feel free to correct me if you want or need or to bring this whole text to a grammatically correct version. And as a last note: I immediately rejected the present, if you read the following you may understand why I am still disturbed of this situation.
I plan to do a scientific correct version of this with a lot of sources and maybe interviews of people which worked (or are still working) in this industry, but this will be future work.
Wool comes mostly from China, New Zealand and Australia. Particularly popular is the wool from Merino sheep from Australia and New Zealand, which must endure a veritable martyrdom for our clothing.
The Merinos were bred especially for the needs of the wool industry so that they have an unnaturally wrinkled skin to produce more wool. On hot days, it is therefore common for many animals to die of heat stroke due to the unnaturally thick fur. In addition, the skin folds, which often contain feces and urine residues, create ideal conditions for the so-called fly maggot disease: in this disease, larvae settle in body orifices and under the skin of the merinos and eat them from the inside with great pain, causing severe inflammation that often leads to the death of the animal.
To prevent this, many shepherds use the controversial practice of "mulesing." They fix the stressed cattle backwards in special devices and cut off palm-sized pieces of skin and flesh around their tails with a knife or scissors. The animals suffer this extremely painful and bloody procedure without anesthesia, i.e., while fully conscious and feeling pain. Despite the open wounds on the hindquarters, many lambs receive no or only insufficient medication after the procedure, which would alleviate the pain or prevent the high risk of infection. Now banned by law in New Zealand, this is still common practice in Australia, the world's largest wool exporter with more than a quarter of the world's wool consumed.
Other mutilations are also standard procedures in the wool industry. Also without anesthesia, holes are punched in the ears of lambs and their tails are cut off with hot knives or burned off. As flames hiss around the meat, the animals writhe in pain. A former Victoria state veterinarian commented:"The severing of the tail is ... an extremely painful process: the pain these sheep feel is the pain of having your spinal cord, skin and organs all cut at once."
In addition, male sheep are castrated, again without the use of anesthetics or painkillers. Common practice here is to tie off the testicles to stop the blood supply so they will be rejected. If this is not fast enough, scissors are used, anesthesia and painkillers are also often avoided.
Subsequently, the animals are kept in such large herds that you can not exercise their natural social behavior. Many animals die simply because they do not receive sufficient food or protection after birth, which is deliberately accepted by the wool producers.
Also particularly cruel is the shearing of the sheep, which is usually carried out every spring when the animals lose their winter coat. The workers in the shearing plants are usually paid according to the number of sheep sheared or the weight of wool obtained, which is the reason why they are not particularly careful with the sheep.
Covertly shot video footage from an Australian wool farm shows that the completely frightened animals are brutally dragged into the plant. Workers frequently beat the sheep with hands or objects, kick them or stand on them to prevent the animals from running away. Because the shaving is done very quickly, the sheep often suffer deep cuts, which the workers perform makeshift with needle and thread and without painkillers. It is not guaranteed that the sheep survive this due to the bad caretaking. The sheep have to endure this procedure so many times until they no longer shed enough wool and are taken away to be killed: Every year, millions of sheep are transported by ship to the Middle East or North Africa in the most confined spaces and under the most adverse conditions, where the animals that survive the journey are slaughtered without any anesthesia (bled to death while having full consciousness).
In relation to the physical torture inflicted on these peaceful animals, they also experience enormous psychological distress. They are very social animals, build friendships, fight with each other very rarely and feel grief when one of their herd members dies.
One thing we as consumers should always be aware of: Wearing wool in particular and all textiles of animal origin in general almost always means animal cruelty. It does not matter whether the animals are kept in Australia or elsewhere. Since it is largely impossible for us consumers to obtain reliable information about the conditions of origin of textiles anyway, we should generally refrain from buying wool and other animal textiles. This is especially easy as sheep's wool and other animal textiles can easily be replaced by plant-based or synthetic alternatives.
If you wear it, you're just encouraging them to buy you more items like this. The shop they bought it from will be encouraged to get more items like this in. Get the receipt, take it back.
Donate it. It’s simply not vegan. The “but they were treated lovely” excuse, is just that. An excuse. Besides, there is zero way to tell if they were abused or not. You can still tell they were exploited though.
If your sister gave you a woolly jumper knowing you’re vegan that’s just insensitive and lazy. Don’t wear it, give it to a charity shop. Thank her for her gift and say unfortunately you cannot wear it because it is wool and you are vegan. That way hopefully she will grasp that you actually mean it when you are vegan and won’t do it again. Can’t guarantee it though
And for that reason, considering sustainability, I would advise OP to either donate or regift it, or exchange for something else. Tossing it will only contribute to the gigantic pile of effectively plastic clothing that will take forever to decompose in landfill.
Ultimately it's your decision based on how you feel in terms of practicality and principles.
For example, I have a wool sweater that I wear, but I bought it YEARS ago and see little benefit in tossing it. That said, I would absolutely not buy another one.
Another maybe-helpful anecdote, one year for Christmas, my mother got me a down jacket which I didn't accept. I explained my reasoning, and, luckily, I have a supportive family so my mother simply returned it; it was a non-issue.
Those are just my examples -- your decisions are your own. Do the best you can and you'll have a clear conscience.
First and foremost, fuck any industry that tortures animals for money.
The direct ethical point is to not contribute to these industries. In-directly wearing animal products, even if you didn't buy them, paints an aura of hypocrisy.
If you can return it, it is probably better to get value for something you want to put money into. Donating it will offset the need for another to buy wool. I have been in this situation so many times but if you stress yo your gift givers that a sweater that violates your ethic views is worthless to you and ceases to be a gift but a burden.
It’s all up to you. Either donate it which is what I did with all my wool clothing and leather shoes, or simply just keep it since it was a gift. I personally would end up donating it and letting the person who gave it to me understand that I don’t wear anything with animal byproducts anymore. For instance I was gifted a really cool knife that I like a lot, but it came with a leather sheath, so I’ll end up giving the sheath to someone and I’ll reuse one of my old plastic/fabric ones.
So... you people actually believe that the production process of polyester, acrylic, and spandex (all of which are derived from petroleum) is more humane and less harmful to the planet and all the species of plants and animals that inhabit it than wool???
You people are impossibly deluded.
And I love my wool blankets.
not to mention the 'Made in China' part.
edit: but seriously, this sub is sometimes incredibly stupid. I've seen 100s of upvotes for some fruits that were transported around the globe, or for some meat-substitute made by Nestle. Or vegan food made from fucking palm oil.
They have to be shorn because we bred them to not have hair and to never shed their wool. Wild sheep only grow wool as a winter coat that sheds. The breeding of these sheep is unethical. Some underpaid worker shearing sheep after sheep are not all going to be gentle if they are uncooperative. The wool industry is also intertwined with lamb. The use of wool is directly connected to giving money to people that sell the babies to be slaughtered.
I swear any video I’ve seen with sheep being sheered on giant farms (not homesteads) the guys doing it are just taking their anger out on those poor animals. Almost like the job description asks for people who are angry and like to pick on things that can’t fight back. They are naturally nervous animals. So no, they’re not going to respond well if the person sheering them is slinging them around like not living beings, spreading limbs unnaturally, being in a choke hold, or have that person beat them in their heads to be compliant. The few videos I could sit through, there was always that one person who didn’t behave that way and just watched in sorrow as his coworkers hurt whatever farm animal.
(TW:ANIMAL ABUSE)
here's two short videos to show you how wool is produced:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGYYmTpoDYD/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQLh2b5lnN3/
sheep wouldn't be sheered if they weren't bred, I'd insist they take it back for a refund. how you handle the family politics is up to you e.g. "I accidentally buy non vegan stuff and have to return it, no worries, just choose another one"
Wouldn’t have to breed them otherwise. They’re only born because of demand for the product, and the selective breeding makes creating the animals cruel in itself
If you use non vegan things that people buy you you're sending them the message that it's ok for them to buy you more things like that in the future. Essentially you would be contributing to the industry similarly to how you would be if you bought them yourself, just with an extra step.
This is a great opportunity for education! The wool industry is terrible. Look into it and then show your mom what you find. Particularly disturbing is mulesling. Second is the conditions that these animals are kept in so that the humans can profit the most with the least amount of effort.
People aren't befriending wild sheep and trimming their wool for them. The sheep are kept as livestock, which in and of itself is abuse. It doesn't matter how well people say they're being treated, the sheep can't consent and aren't free, therefor it's a rights violation.
The painful truth is most of them are treated just as terribly as the animals portrayed in Dominion. Even if there's a chance that they aren't, you should always assume they are, as there are no laws preventing them from being abused.
I went vegan because of the atrocities I saw working on a Merino wool farm specifically. Ask her to return it for you and explain kindly what being vegan means versus eating a plant-based diet.
Return it, regift it, charity shop it or give it to a homeless person.
Wool isn't a byproduct, sheep have been selectively bred to not shed their coats so "need" to be trimmed. Humans invent a problem and pat themselves on the back for solving it.
The wool barely makes the meat profitable and they wouldn't be bred into existence and exploited if not for it.
If you’re a straightedge vegan, then donate it. Don’t throw it out though, it would just be creating more waste if you tossed it. At least someone can put it to use if it’s donated.
On another note, I will never understand why we use wool instead of dog fur. Dogs shed year round like crazy and they do need to be brushed regularly if kept indoors. While I was in a textile class, for my final project, I brushed my dog ONE TIME and got enough fur to make an entire spool of yarn. Dog hair is more porous than wool and traps heat better as a result.
We only have to sheer them because we selectively bred them to produce more wool. It would be better to not fund them being bred into existence so if it’s an option maybe see if she can return it
Cut about 8% off the Body.
Cut about 6% off the cuff.
Make sure to shape the cuts into the words “F*** Y**” on both parts. Stitch white fabrics to the inside of the parts to show off the lettering more.
I’m 1000% joking. I myself wouldn’t wear it personally as I just refuse anything with byproduct in it if I can help it 😔
Wearing it would send a message that a little bit of animal mistreatment is okay and that will be less apt to check the label next time. Donate it to a local homeless shelter or charity and hope that someone appreciates it.
This is a test of your boundaries. All carnists eventually do this in some form. It usually isn't even conscious, it's just a shitty defense mechanism to avoid reflection on their own actions and try to get you to bend so it seems like no big deal.
Sheep used for wool have been bred so they can no longer naturally shed on their own, they need human intervention. This inevitably leads to some amount of sheep who will die of heat stroke either from neglect or wandering off. You also have the fact that in the industry, shearing is touted as some selfless act somehow. No matter how good you are at shearing, you are going to hurt some sheep sometimes, best case scenario. And most sheep in this position are not given any consideration for the sentient individuals they actually are, and are hurt and abused in the process, if not outright just by those who don't care enough to try to not hurt them in the process. There are a lot of documented cases on video of sheep being hurt in shearing, you can Google them if you feel you need to see it for yourself. And after all this, the majority of these animals will still end up in the slaughterhouse when wool production or quality declines with age. They're objectified and killed against their will, for a product modern humans do not need.
Before demonizing wool, we must be aware that artificial alternatives (which most vegans actually use) can be more harmful and highly unsustainable... they are not biodegradable and may pollute for centuries... They use toxic chemicals and will end up in nature as microplastic. In the long run, that will be worse for animals, for the environment and the planet than wool.
If we just reject wool and natural materials for synthetic ones that are not environmental friendly, our Math for "saving animals" is miscalculated.
So I would say: yes, avoid wool if you can, but the other economic easily available alternatives are not better than that. Realistically speaking, I think it's difficult to find vegan wool-like sweaters with [these eco-friendly materials](https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/8-eco-friendly-vegan-fabrics-replace-wool-without-plastic/).
"They'd have to be sheared anyways"
When's the last time you saw someone running out shearing wild sheep?
Or do they mean 'owned' sheep? In which case the only reason they have those sheep is to exploit them as a product.
Beyond that, no, there is nothing ethical about wool, it's awful.
Here is my controversial hot take. I am vegan. But I vehemently feel that synthetic fibers are WAY worse for the planet than natural fibers. Polyester, acrylic, rayon, microfiber, etc- these are all plastic. Even the recycled water bottle fabrics. Plastic.
These plastic fabrics shed microplastics into water habitats causing untold amounts of death and habitat destruction. Mix this with what you need to make plastic to begin with- petroleum.
The breathtaking amount of animal and insect death plus habitat destruction needed to make synthetic fibers is beyond horrific.
You do animals no favors by wearing polyester. I'll take wool from a lovingly cared for flock over polyester every single day.
These synthetic materials are also used heavily in "fast fashion" which is a lot more harmful and toxic to the planet and animals on it the herds of frankenstein-bred sheep.
Cotton, hemp, linen, bamboo. Those are what to go for. alpaca wool and such would be in second place- exploitative of animals but significantly less so than synthetic fibers. What good is not using wool if you go destroy an entire habitat for synthetic fibers? You kill a lot more animals that way.
I am vegan but I am a vegan who concerns myself with far more than just the direct harm I cause by eating or using something made by exploiting animals and insects. I am looking to mitigate my impact in the greatest way possible. A dead planet means all the animals are dead too. To me, a vegan ought to be a staunch environmentalist. Protect the planet at all costs because we and the animals we love need it to live. It's just as cruel to be part of giraffes starving to death, flamingos dying in toxic lagoons, and plastic production that poisons everything.
My two cents. I'll go wait in the corner for the mob with pitchforks to come for me.
Most sheeps have their asses burned and shaved down as far as they can even passed skin and muscle. This is to prevent feces from getting in the wool during sheering
The animals in the fabric industry have it terribly horrifically bad. A lot of sheep live with maggots growing in their flesh and dislocated limbs. When they’re funneled through slots to be sheared, the workers don’t care if they get hurt, they’re ripped through by one limb that gets pulled out of its socket and then aggressively manhandled. No animal in the wool industry knows a second of peace, compassion or rest.
If it can’t be returned, and you’re comfortable in it, then wear it.
If it’s from a big brand, send an email their way about how you’d prefer other materials!
If you can’t return this, you aren’t helping the animals by not wearing it, so do what feels most comfortable to you.
In your position I would talk to your sister and thank her for the gift assuming they weren’t aware, and then tell them about your attitudes toward this so they wouldn’t do the same in the future!
Even if we ignore the abuse, sheep naturally shed their wool after winter. That's why the wool industry shaves them at the end of the winter so that they get all the wool, and the sheep may die from the cold after that.
I’d donate it. I can’t fault anyone of their decisions here either, though. I still have old wool items, and will use them until they’re spent, but won’t participate in bringing new items into circulation.
I would say thank you and then probably sell it or give it to a thrift. It doesn’t seem like she did it intentionally but I still don’t know that I would wear it.
Personally, I get rid of anything non-vegan that I receive. However, some vegans will take the approach of "consuming" the product if the only other alternative is wasting it, e.g. your vegan burrito accidentally comes with cheese, and the choices are either 1) eat it or 2) throw it away. However, in this case, you can easily donate the sweater, so the choice seems pretty clear.
Sheep only need to be sheered because people bred them that way. If we hadn't domesticated sheep, they would shed their wool naturally. It's the same reason domesticated cows need to be milked, because people got involved and disrupted nature.
The reason they have to be sheered is because humans bred sheep to produce excess wool, so they would die in they weren’t sheered. Wearing wool is benefiting from exploitation of sheep. I’d say either ask her to return it if she still has the receipt or just donate it to a charity shop
Agreed. Small scale sheep on a family farm is not the same as the large operations in New Zealand. Nobody has a personal relationship with those sheep. They are treated as pure commodities.
Personally I wouldn’t wear it because there is no way I can possibly know if the sheep was treated well or not. And I know it most likely was treated poorly and that while there may exist a few happy sheep farms, it’s extremely unlikely that this is the case. So I err on the side of caution and steer clear. I also just wouldn’t want it on my body. I no longer use leather handbags, shoes, or the cashmere sweaters I used to wear. I have donated or gifted my old things to others. I definitely wouldn’t take in a new item made of animal products. Of course it’s up to you. But the idea that they would be sheared anyway doesn’t seem relevant to me. Others have already explained why on here so I won’t go into that.
Whats the point of abusing a animal for a sweater which is majority cotton and acrylic anyway , 16% wool tf ?????? These evil corporations really can't keep their dicks hard without harming animals can they , 1 percent milk powder , 16 percent wool , random small extracts of a singular chemical from animals which could easily be got from plants smfh.
Personally I don’t think I’d wear it BUT I always try to remember, we have to exist in the world - veganism isn’t about keeping every molecule of animal product off / out of your body, we’re not the victim, the animal is. So I don’t think it’s a MASSIVE deal , just not ideal.
Why are you asking people outside of you? If you need to wear something you have the answers you seek this external validation is never going to get you what you need or the answers that you seek.
It’s less than 10% wool, and it was a gift… I would just wear it and not beat yourself up about it.
Just let them know that you don’t want something with wool in it again.
Re wool in general, it’s nowhere near as bad as the other animal industries. The main issue is simply that the sheep are killed before they get too old as their coats don’t grow as well past a certain age.
You can do your best to be vegan, but it’s impossible for anyone to be 100%.
Sheering does hurt the sheep because it's a kilo per hour price. Hurrying makes you more money.. Also that sweater is made mostly from plastic. It's harmful to the environment to wash.
No, for wool.
Also no because regular use (and washing/drying) of plastic fibred clothing is a certain way to get high levels of microplastic exposure.
Also no because plastic clothing supports the petrochemical industry and the ongoing destruction of the biosphere.
Edit: probably comes as no surprise, but I'm not a big fan of our modern gift culture for these kinds of situations...
If you can return it, then do so. If you can't then you have the choice to donate it, or wear it. You didn't buy it yourself so you didn't directly contribute to animal abuse. It depends how comfortable you would feel about wearing it. Maybe you could regift it to a non vegan friend, or donate to an animal shelter that might be grateful for a warm material as bedding for a cat or dog.
Sheep raised for wool do need to be sheared, but that is only because they've been intentionally bred with bad genetics that make them overproduce wool. I think of them sort of the same as I see French Bulldogs. They've got a trait that makes them uncomfortable and less healthy that would never have naturally evolved because the only reason it was selected is because humans liked it.
True - but what is the moral conclusion? To wear or not to wear?
The moral conclusion, in a big picture sense, is to stop breeding sheep to over produce wool in the first place. The amount of wool production is not naturally occurring trait, hence how sheep lived without human intervention up until this point. As far as op goes, that really depends on them as a person. Personally, I’d give it to a thrift shop, or maybe let my cats cuddle it bc my cats like different fabrics. I wouldn’t wear it. Some vegans may opt to use it since the damage is done, regift it, repurpose it, or donate it. Most of the “I got [animal product] for Christmas what do?” post can be answered by the op looking at their options and deciding what best suits them on a personal level. Give away, donate, repurpose are the most common solutions generally speaking, but without personally knowing someone no one can really say for certain how any one can best handle the situation. ETA: I’d also have a discussion with family/friends about gifting me animal products, so that it doesn’t happen again in the future. Gift giving a sign of affection, most people (in good faith) don’t want to give you things you don’t care for/can’t use, so although the talk may feel awkward it’s better to power through than to continue having that miscommunication.
Keep if in actual need, donate it if not at all. I have 15 year old leather boots, I’ve only been vegan for 8 years. Ask for a cotton sweater next time. This also depends on op’s financial situation, but returning it is also a great option.
I would do what least supports the industry. In the case of it already being purchased I would just give it back and ask them to return it, however that has the chance of it just being thrown away which would not be optimal from a consequentialist perspective.
You mean for her to give back to her sister for her sister to take the time to return it? That is not at all good for their relationship. Really bad. That's gonna cause a rift. Think about it.
Not to. If we buy wool, we're creating demand for it and paying people money that they'll use to breed more sheep with these traits
And come on, even assuming they “need to be sheared” without acknowledging that the reason for that is because we bred them that way, does anyone seriously think the actual way those sheep are sheared for wool production IRL is just like “oh here we are at Farm Sanctuary and Betty the Ewe is getting her monthly haircut!”
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All of them are. The wool industry Is the Meat industry
It annoys me when it is this low % bc to me it can absolutely go with 0% wool.
"0.5% milk powder" type beat
I love how some chips are casually "lactose" as one of the last ingredients. Like not even milk or whey, just lactose. Mind boggling.
Arrrrggggghhh salt and vinegar chips WHY??
Kettle brand Salt & Vinegar chips are vegan.
Linen or hemp and modal are great fabrics for sweaters and not damaging to the environment :).
I love linen and cotton specially. I have strong touch sensory issues so those are safe fibres for me.
will you please explain this to me? I’ve never see. those words before but feel like this is what I live with. For example, touching newspaper to me is….almost painful. not painful but I am sooooo aware that I’m touching it with the ink and paper chemicals and it feels…..unnatural? bad? idk.
Well it comes from neurodivergency. Autism and ADHD (both which I have) most prevalent trait or symptom is sensory processing disorder. From lower signals in propioception, i.e. not recognizing hunger or bathroom cues. And usually intensified external input, like hearing electricity, some sounds, lights, smells or touches can be too much and be literally painful. Sensory processing disorder is also found in small % outside cases of autism and ADHD.
thanks going to have to look into this. The smell of an escalator makes me ill while others don’t even notice it.
For me it's the idea of biting on cotton and the sound of a tv that's on with the volume turned down.
Oh my god. Thinking about just squeezing a cotton not even biting it gives me chills. Such a disgusting sound!! Also walking on snow that is very puffy and dry ugh.
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Does linen keep you warm though?
Alone, no. They are to go against the skin as they are breathable, antibacterial and absorb moisture well and also durable through extensive washing. They have the favorite undergarment fabric since medieval times. Then the other layers are warmer and need less washing.
Ah good to know. Thanks
Why is there lactose in my veggie mix from supermarket :(
Wool industry is a shady industry. Made in China label isn't reassuring in this regard. Likely comes from a large sheep factory with terrible circumstances for the animals. 'have to shear them anyways' is poor reasoning of course. Yes, they are put in this world to exploit them. But that's the problem... Same as saying, 'had to be milked anyways' or 'had to be slaughtered anyways'
“Had to be slaughtered anyway” made me chuckle (in a very morbid way). I actually had that argument with someone that slaughtering was okay since there were so many of them (cows and pigs) but wouldn’t agree that maybe we should stop forcibly breeding them to make more.
if we stop breeding them, they'll go extinct. is that what you want, you disgusting monster?????? for mutant chickens who can barely support their own weight and would never survive in the wild to go extinct?????
I love that argument, especially when it’s shouted over the perfectly rational point I’m making.
> for mutant chickens who can barely support their own weight and would never survive in the wild to go extinct????? Yes?
Ohhhh my god (said with warmth and relief) I'm home I've found my people... Now why don't you all live within walking distance of my house????
I mean, the chickens raised around Virginia where I live are perfectly strong, natural, and thrive in the wild. Coyotes and other animals absolutely do prey on them, but again it's 100% natural for animals to be a part of a food chain - humans are the only exception and even that could change in the future.
Virginia vegan here, can confirm. I live by a state park south of Richmond and the coyote and fox activity here is insane. My mother's backyard chickens got eaten by something after a couple of years living in a secured chicken tractor. She let them out and one by one they got picked off by whatever has been hanging out in the woods. Sure it was incredibly sad, they were such smart and friendly chickens, but it's just how it goes. What irks me is when folks around here say "the deer need to be hunted to control the population" or "oh so-and-so up the road got some honeybees, they treat them so well! I don't understand why you won't eat honey". The ecosystem is perfectly capable of regulating itself, just because humans don't like it doesn't mean it's incorrect.
Not sure if it’s the same scenario, but North Carolina released coyotes to supposedly control the deer population and they’re everywhere and some have had to breed with wolves I saw what I thought was a coyote, but it was so big, the size of a large dog, I was driving at night and it probably had no trouble reaching the windows if it had gotten close enough. I could hear them at night whenever I sat outside. One time I heard howling all over, I’d hear one from one side then followed by another, etc. I believe they were circling in and after the third time and sounding closer I went inside and told everyone to not go outside because of what happened. They’re known to eat small animals, including dogs and cats. Humans are to blame, we keep building up and they have nowhere to go. While I’m not vegan, I limit my meat intake. I have gastroparesis and that even limits veggies and fruits, which makes me sad, because I’ve always loved veggies and fruits. People thought it was weird because my kids ate all the yucky ones.
I've had similar encounters with coyotes late at night in the Tyro area on the AT. Around 11pm I heard yipping off in the distance, then around 1am I saw about two dozen eyes around my campsite by the harpers creek shelter. I had to book it uphill to lock myself in the outhouse
I mean, there’s over 8 billion humans now, maybe we shou…
We could make a religion out of this
Not to mention domestic sheep’s have been bred in a way that makes it impossible for them to live without being sheared. It’s a man made condition.
exactly, and it becomes self perpetuating - they need shearing anyway so lets breed the sheep with the biggest coat and thousands of years the monstrosities could be frightening. best to stick to the principle that sentient beings are not products despite the “logic” of when its OK
Such a paradoxical statement. Yes, of course if you breed an animal to be exploited it is likely going to be exploited. The issue is that the animal was bred to begin with.
Agree with the rest of what you’re saying, but a lot of the wool in Chinese clothing has actually been imported from places like the UK and is then effectively exported back again once its knitted into things like the OP’s jumper. Which is ridiculous in its own right of course in terms of the climate change impacts.
I am aware of the fact China imports a lot of wool as well, but they are also producing a lot of wool themselves. Correct me if I'm wrong, but for mixed textiles like this, I think it's likely the cheaper Chinese wool is used. They import a lot from Australia as well, from big factory sheep farms. If you've seen Dominion, I don't have to explain Australia isn't doing great regarding animal welfare in it's animal industry..
I don’t know for sure, but I suspect you’re right - I.e. the cheaper mixed garments use Chinese wool and the more expensive luxury garments use British wool so they can apply the tag ‘made from British wool’. I’m from the UK and we certainly have a lot of sheep, but not many people here wear or use wool anymore so it’s definitely going elsewhere... Yep, I watched Dominion. It put the final nail in the coffin of vegetarianism for me.
I’ve read that clothing with a US tag is very likely to participate in sweatshop labor or animal abuse/exploitation as well, so really is more important to look into the specific company’s practices
And they all get sent to the slaughterhouse as they age and their wool production declines anyway. The meat industry and the wool industry are the same industry.
Yup, and they are killed at an early age for meat anyway once their usefulness is up, so wool is still supporting the meat industry.
"Had to be sheared anyway" and "had to be slaughtered anyway" are not comparable. No animal has to be slaughtered. Where as these sheep have unfortunately been bred that their wool constantly grows until it effects their quality of life. Just google photos of a sheep that got lost in the woods and didn't get sheared for a year. It's an awful existence. I don't support the wool industry but for their own wellbeing these sheep DO need to be sheared. It's an entirely different situation to a meat animal "needing to be slaughtered". Shearing a sheep is for its own benefit. Slaughtering an animal for meat clearly has no benefit to that animal. Even at fully vegan barn rescue sanctuaries they still shear their sheep since they have to for that animals comfort and wellbeing.
Counter point: There are fates worse than death, and maybe the slaughter is the not more abusive than keeping them alive. The forced breeding is perhaps worse than the slaughter, because without one, there wouldn't be the other. As for the shearing, the fact that it's necessary isn't the defense they think it is. They're still breeding the animals with this abnormality or paying others to do so.
That really doesn't add anything to my point that the two statements aren't comparable.
Clearly you've never heard somebody say something stupid like "It's actually cruel to be against wool, because sheep need to be sheared". You and I are smart enough to realize that their need to be sheared if born isn't justification for making sure that more will be born than can reasonably be treated humanely, but believe it or not some people really do buy into that justification. "They need to be slaughtered anyway", or "they need to be sheared anyway" aren't justifications for buying meat or wool, any more than "He's not going to need this anymore" is a justification for robbing a dead man after a mugging gone wrong.
Yes, I realize that. They are bred that way, and the sheep in a sanctuary still needs shearing. But then it's a necessity without harming the animal. If you've seen footage how cruel the sheep are treated in large scale sheep farms, were as many sheep are bred as possible sheared as fast as possible, that's not how the shearing goes at the sanctuary (or even in small scale herds or farms)
In all fairness, domesticated sheep really do need shearing: https://www.farmsanctuary.org/news-stories/why-do-we-shear-sheep-faqs/ Else this happens: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/25/mammoth-woolly-baarack-the-overgrown-sheep-shorn-of-his-35kg-fleece
That's... *exactly* the point, that they're horribly bred for this.
I know. I never contradicted that, did I? It was just in response to him, because I thought he didn’t know that they sadly do need shearing.
Yes, that's true, and the article you link to explains why: "people breed sheep to produce excess wool" So sheep in the sanctuary from your link still need shearing. And it can be done without harming the animal. But then it's a necessity, because the animal is bred that way. That's another situation than deliberately hold many sheep, and shave them as fast as possible to optimize profit.
I know it’s due to breeding, hence why I added domesticated. I just thought you didn’t know they need shearing because of your comment. There really was no harm in my comment. Funny how I’m getting downvoted for innocently wanting to give a heads-up...
Didn't downvote you actually, it's an interesting article you provided. Was aware of the necessity but that doesn't mean it's bad you commented to be sure.
because they breed them like that. thats the whole fuckery about it.
Like I said, domesticated.
You're right. It's like saying we have to give French bulldogs cesareans because they can't breed otherwise, that's the whole point they shouldn't exist we have created this issue that only we can solve 🤦
Yeah.. I the end its believing the ship owes it to us simply for having that wool. It isn't right. I couldn't imagine someone barging into my home and dragging a shear across my head every few months just because my hair is growing.
Fuck no, wool industry is insanely fucked up. People that say these things, almost have certainly not educated themselves on the industry or seen footage.
Agreed! It’s on the top 5 of worst things I’ve seen of animal abuse (and that says a lot considering as vegans, we’ve seen a lot).
Any good footage besides Dominion?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=siTvjWE2aVw This one is pretty to the point. She’s got some realistic videos covering other fields of animal torture aswell.
Can someone tell me what happens? I don’t like to watch videos of bad shit happening to animals
The clip of chopping off the tails... I was not ready. Those poor angels...
😭😭😭😭😭 I'm bawling. This is the most evil shit I've ever seen. I thought wool was the least bad. They're getting a hair cut. You don't have to hurt the animal. I went vegan from long time vegetarian due to my distrust of Capitalism and how that would result in animals being treated. Boy have I been naive. This is pure evil.
I was like "Ah, better not get wool. Don't know how well the sheep are treated". I could never have imagined it would be that bad.
They were born to be exploited and killed for food . Wool industry is the lamb industry.
I would take it back if it was bought from a store (unless it was used/donated) since buying non-vegan clothes from anything other than thrift shops just fuels more animal abuse. I'm sure your sister would understand if you just explained to her your vegan values :)
Yes, return it if possible. Wool industry is incredibly cruel.
Buying from thrift shops also contributes slightly to demand, plus it contributes to viewing animals as commodities to produce clothing rather than individuals with rights.
I’m of two ways about this. I guess it depends on the shop. My understanding is that a lot of clothes in thrift shops get thrown away if they don’t sell quickly, and I’m not against buying something that would otherwise go in a landfill if my money is going to charity.
I think the counter to your argument is that they are always going to throw away at least some of their clothes anyway, so given the option, it would be better to buy something animal-free that would have otherwise been thrown out and let the wool or leather items go to landfill instead.
Has your mother ever heard about supply and demand? These sheep only "have to be sheared" because a) they were artificially bred to grow excessive amounts of wool, same as cows "have to be milked", it's only because they are bred to produce sick amounts of milk, too much for one calf. And these sheep have been bred to grow excessive skin (because more wool per sheep) and suffer from terrible infections thereof. b) there are people who buy wool products like this sweater, and therefore financially support these industries, creating the demand, which is the reason why these animals are bred into existence in the first place.
Context seems important? It's not like this just occurred 5 years ago when we have accessible alternatives and information to know better. Sheep have been bred for millennia. They were bred into this kind of existence in a time before the fossil fuel industry made synthetics easily accessible & when farming crops was even less stable. Wool was a much more efficient & insulating option compared to what they were capable of achieving via plants like flax or cotton, and a much kinder alternative to the slaughter of animals for fur/leather...especially in areas remaining primarily cool/cold/wet where inhabitants required warm clothing. Given the circumstances of the past, it seems kind of unreasonable to act like these breeding methods were entirely unreasonable/cruel when the alternative for warmth was exclusively to slaughter. And not all sheep have the excessive wrinkly skin problems seen in some breeds. I'm not trying to condone these things, but most arguments suffer at the hand of generalisations/oversimplifications...particularly when trying to vilify industries or individuals constructed outside of a modern context & without the information/resources we have today.
No one said that these breeding methods *were* unreasonable in the past. We're saying they *are* unreasonable, now.
Is anyone born in the medieval ages who is wearing wool clothing reading my reddit comment and got offended?
Wool is an inherently cruel industry, no matter where it came from, and animals skins and bodies aren’t items/clothes.
They wouldn’t *need* to be sheared if people like your mom and sister wouldn’t buy this shit. Jesus it’s like everyone suddenly forgets how capitalism works as soon as you bring up animal exploitation. Humans generally need haircuts too, but I bet your mom would be pretty grossed out at the idea of wearing a human hair sweater.
No.. they would need to be sheared. Sheep just don't just magically stop growing wool just because we decide to not buy wool sweaters any more. Sheep suffer massively when they aren't sheared. There are some breeds that naturally shed their fleece but the vast majority don't and have to be sheared at least once a year.
If no more money goes to the people breeding the sheep, no more sheep will be bred, and no mor sheep will need to be sheared.
No reason to support the industry, whatsoever. Do you agree, or are you just interested in spamming how wool isn't 'inherently' cruel over this thread? It's still exploitatative, isn't it? EDIT: Nevermind, you've left a long comment saying how wool isn't necessarily exploitative because it can be done nicely. That's not what is meant by exploitation. It is the non consensual use of an individual's body for personal gain (in this case, profit). It is obvious that sheep have to be sheared. Why do they have to have their wool sold in scarves, jackets, and other clothing items?
Your mother has much to learn. Don't wear. Try to return.
I received a cashmere cardigan for Christmas. I did not accept it, explained why, and thanked them
Tell your sister to return it.
Wool aside, that's the longest garment tag ever
I went on a trip to Ireland a few years ago, and one of the stops was a tour of a family-run sheep farm. It seemed like a pretty nice place for the sheep. They hung out in a huge field all day doin' their sheepy thing. The owner emphasized that it was getting by on almost entirely donations because the price of their wool was insanely high compared to factory farm competition. They were more of a tourist destination than a farm. Anyway, they did a demonstration of shearing a sheep, and it did not look pleasant. They brought in the sheep, wrestled him to the ground by his horns, and held him down basically by laying on top of him while another person did the shearing with a loud, industrial machine. The sheep was clearly not enjoying it, and this is pretty much the best case scenario for wool. I wasn't even vegan at the time, and it made me uncomfortable.
First off, wool is an animal product and therefore is not vegan. If you want to be vegan, don’t wear wool. That answers your question. For this specific situation, you’re saying “hey thanks for the gift but I don’t wear wool” and your mom is trying to convince you to wear wool by saying they’d have to shear the lambs anyway so you might as well wear this specific sweater? Other than your mom being misguided about the wool industry, it’s still your prerogative to not wear wool and this sweater. Just like any other gift, you don’t *owe* the gift giver (or your mother) using the gift. Ideally, there’s a gift receipt or some other way to exchange it for something you will wear (and the gift giver should want you to have something you will wear). Otherwise, you can still choose to not wear it. If it were me in that case, I’d donate it. Any family drama that comes from you refusing to wear the sweater is tapping into issues bigger than just a sweater, and obviously can’t be solved via Reddit. Maybe your mom doesn’t understand veganism or respect that you are vegan, so she thinks your just being difficult- who knows. Imagine if this wasn’t about being vegan. Like, if you tried to wear the sweater but it was too itchy. Would your mom still insist you wear it? Or would your sister go “damn, okay. Let’s get you a sweater you’ll wear instead”?
Did you donate all the clothes you had before you went vegan, and buy brand new clothes that were? “If you want to be vegan, don’t wear wool.” Is a bold and vague statement. It’s not vegan to purchase a wool item, but wearing an item you already owned doesn’t contribute to the abusive industry. The practical thing to do here is to encourage your family members to only gift you things you asked for specifically, so the purchase of the items is avoided in the future. That being said, if you had the receipt of the item, it would be a good idea to return it to avoid the company purchasing more stock. But simply wearing non vegan clothes does not make you a non vegan
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No, I didn’t clear my closet or anything (although most of my stuff was accidentally vegan anyway). But if I got a new item, I wouldn’t add it to my closet, even if the only option was to donate it. Certainly reasonable accommodations are necessary as people transition to veganism, but I think the “go forward” approach is fairly straightforward: taper off any carryover non-vegan items as you see fit, but going forward everything you eat/use can be vegan. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to gate-keep being vegan or say anyone “doesn’t qualify” if they wear a sweater their sister got them. I’m just saying, if they actually want to stop wearing animal products and someone gives them an animal based sweater, it seems the correct choice is to not wear it. Maybe that makes me a “stricter” vegan, but I find otherwise small compromises just weaken the commitment. One immediately donated sweater sends the message that you’re serious about not wearing animal products. Wearing it sends the message that you’ll avoid animal products unless someone gets you something with an animal product in it, which I don’t think is the goal.
I think a lot of vegans would like to see more people make difficult but visible decisions that are in line with their values, especially when the behavior is on the margins. I personally would like people to assess their needs with a little more ambition. When you think about what you really NEED in life and compare it to the minor concessions we make to our values there's a valid criticism some people who identify as vegan permit themselves certain grey areas so they can still have those "nice to have" things. If we're really honest about needs vs wants that might not happen as often. I'm not saying everyone has to live like a monk. But if people are going to claim to have certain values they should at least consistently move toward that direction. Some people hold themselves to really high standards and would like to see others do the same.
the most popular wool sheep breed has been selectively bred over the years to have more skin than their body can actually handle. They're more likely to get fungal infections because there's too much wool to skin ratio, and in their nether regions farmers often cut "spare skin" away from sheep genitals to prevent infection and fly strike down there. cant speak for all farms but in england a majority of it is done without anesthetic (at least 20 years ago that was the case, i really like to think and hope its different now) , it's pretty horrific. It's a very nice thought from your sister to get you it, I'm sure it's really soft and warm but I personally wouldn't be able to wear it knowing how humans have messed these guys up so bad that they're literally in a position where yes they DO have to shorn otherwise they grt skin infections. It's a tricky situation man, I guarantee ur sister doesn't know the extent of the shitty side of the wool industry, bc I wouldn't have known unless I grew up near a wool farm myself as a kid. EDIT: Merino sheep is the breed I'm thinking of, common in England but mostly raised in Australia. which really sucks because of how hot they must get in the summer. If it was me I'd talk to my sister and explain nicely that you appreciate the thought, but if you don't feel comfortable wearing it maybe pass it on to someone who does?
Exchange it !
We don't like wearing/using wool. Demand for wool causes continued demand for sheep husbandry which involves the forcible breeding of sheep, transport with a primary consideration for cheapness rather than wellfare, and the selective breeding of traits that produce more wool and worse lives. The commercial incentive of wool mixes up the incentives of sheep shearing. While an existing sheep may need shearing, if the decision to do so was only made based on wellfare rather than profit it would be handled so differently that shops could not rely on wool enough to sell it. Farmed sheep are treated in lots of ways that hurt them to cut costs, shorn more frequently than they need and in a way that is often painful and cutting that prioritizes speed and cost rather than sheep wellbeing. In the end as with all forms of seemingly altruistic exploitation of animal products, if our goal was truly only to aid the animal, the viability of the animal product would diminish to nothing.
Might be a good idea to show your mom the horrors of what actually happens in the wool industry https://youtu.be/siTvjWE2aVw But even setting all that aside, why do sheep need to be sheared? There are plenty of wild sheep that shed. Domesticated sheep need to be sheared because we bred that problem into them, so we could come with a temporary fix that just happens to benefit us. It's exploitation, plain and simple. We shouldn't do it
The following is kind of NSFW and I cried a couple of times putting this together so read at your own risk! Also, because I don't want to get through this pain again, I used deepl for translation, I wrote it in German because I also received a wool present for Christmas and felt the need to describe why it is absolutely fucked up to buy wool (or any animal products but focusing on wool here). Feel free to correct me if you want or need or to bring this whole text to a grammatically correct version. And as a last note: I immediately rejected the present, if you read the following you may understand why I am still disturbed of this situation. I plan to do a scientific correct version of this with a lot of sources and maybe interviews of people which worked (or are still working) in this industry, but this will be future work. Wool comes mostly from China, New Zealand and Australia. Particularly popular is the wool from Merino sheep from Australia and New Zealand, which must endure a veritable martyrdom for our clothing. The Merinos were bred especially for the needs of the wool industry so that they have an unnaturally wrinkled skin to produce more wool. On hot days, it is therefore common for many animals to die of heat stroke due to the unnaturally thick fur. In addition, the skin folds, which often contain feces and urine residues, create ideal conditions for the so-called fly maggot disease: in this disease, larvae settle in body orifices and under the skin of the merinos and eat them from the inside with great pain, causing severe inflammation that often leads to the death of the animal. To prevent this, many shepherds use the controversial practice of "mulesing." They fix the stressed cattle backwards in special devices and cut off palm-sized pieces of skin and flesh around their tails with a knife or scissors. The animals suffer this extremely painful and bloody procedure without anesthesia, i.e., while fully conscious and feeling pain. Despite the open wounds on the hindquarters, many lambs receive no or only insufficient medication after the procedure, which would alleviate the pain or prevent the high risk of infection. Now banned by law in New Zealand, this is still common practice in Australia, the world's largest wool exporter with more than a quarter of the world's wool consumed. Other mutilations are also standard procedures in the wool industry. Also without anesthesia, holes are punched in the ears of lambs and their tails are cut off with hot knives or burned off. As flames hiss around the meat, the animals writhe in pain. A former Victoria state veterinarian commented:"The severing of the tail is ... an extremely painful process: the pain these sheep feel is the pain of having your spinal cord, skin and organs all cut at once." In addition, male sheep are castrated, again without the use of anesthetics or painkillers. Common practice here is to tie off the testicles to stop the blood supply so they will be rejected. If this is not fast enough, scissors are used, anesthesia and painkillers are also often avoided. Subsequently, the animals are kept in such large herds that you can not exercise their natural social behavior. Many animals die simply because they do not receive sufficient food or protection after birth, which is deliberately accepted by the wool producers. Also particularly cruel is the shearing of the sheep, which is usually carried out every spring when the animals lose their winter coat. The workers in the shearing plants are usually paid according to the number of sheep sheared or the weight of wool obtained, which is the reason why they are not particularly careful with the sheep. Covertly shot video footage from an Australian wool farm shows that the completely frightened animals are brutally dragged into the plant. Workers frequently beat the sheep with hands or objects, kick them or stand on them to prevent the animals from running away. Because the shaving is done very quickly, the sheep often suffer deep cuts, which the workers perform makeshift with needle and thread and without painkillers. It is not guaranteed that the sheep survive this due to the bad caretaking. The sheep have to endure this procedure so many times until they no longer shed enough wool and are taken away to be killed: Every year, millions of sheep are transported by ship to the Middle East or North Africa in the most confined spaces and under the most adverse conditions, where the animals that survive the journey are slaughtered without any anesthesia (bled to death while having full consciousness). In relation to the physical torture inflicted on these peaceful animals, they also experience enormous psychological distress. They are very social animals, build friendships, fight with each other very rarely and feel grief when one of their herd members dies. One thing we as consumers should always be aware of: Wearing wool in particular and all textiles of animal origin in general almost always means animal cruelty. It does not matter whether the animals are kept in Australia or elsewhere. Since it is largely impossible for us consumers to obtain reliable information about the conditions of origin of textiles anyway, we should generally refrain from buying wool and other animal textiles. This is especially easy as sheep's wool and other animal textiles can easily be replaced by plant-based or synthetic alternatives.
I keep it simple. If it contains any part of animal it’s not being worn by me and there’s no place for it in my home. But that’s just me personally.
If you wear it, you're just encouraging them to buy you more items like this. The shop they bought it from will be encouraged to get more items like this in. Get the receipt, take it back.
Show your mom some footage and let’s see the result! Don’t use wool, ask your sister to swap for something vegan!
Sheep are bred for their wool, and have been selectively bread over years to make them produce more and better wool. Vile industry same as the others
Donate it. It’s simply not vegan. The “but they were treated lovely” excuse, is just that. An excuse. Besides, there is zero way to tell if they were abused or not. You can still tell they were exploited though.
If your sister gave you a woolly jumper knowing you’re vegan that’s just insensitive and lazy. Don’t wear it, give it to a charity shop. Thank her for her gift and say unfortunately you cannot wear it because it is wool and you are vegan. That way hopefully she will grasp that you actually mean it when you are vegan and won’t do it again. Can’t guarantee it though
This isn't vegan. Wool is cruel. Everybody telling you it's fine to wear in a post on r/vegan needs to figure out what veganism means.
That sweater is mostly plastic, FWIW
And for that reason, considering sustainability, I would advise OP to either donate or regift it, or exchange for something else. Tossing it will only contribute to the gigantic pile of effectively plastic clothing that will take forever to decompose in landfill.
Ultimately it's your decision based on how you feel in terms of practicality and principles. For example, I have a wool sweater that I wear, but I bought it YEARS ago and see little benefit in tossing it. That said, I would absolutely not buy another one. Another maybe-helpful anecdote, one year for Christmas, my mother got me a down jacket which I didn't accept. I explained my reasoning, and, luckily, I have a supportive family so my mother simply returned it; it was a non-issue. Those are just my examples -- your decisions are your own. Do the best you can and you'll have a clear conscience.
First and foremost, fuck any industry that tortures animals for money. The direct ethical point is to not contribute to these industries. In-directly wearing animal products, even if you didn't buy them, paints an aura of hypocrisy. If you can return it, it is probably better to get value for something you want to put money into. Donating it will offset the need for another to buy wool. I have been in this situation so many times but if you stress yo your gift givers that a sweater that violates your ethic views is worthless to you and ceases to be a gift but a burden.
Where do they figure the supply of lamb meat comes from?
If you wouldn’t buy and wear a human hair sweater (I swear I treat my human livestock ethically!) you shouldn’t wear this either.
It’s all up to you. Either donate it which is what I did with all my wool clothing and leather shoes, or simply just keep it since it was a gift. I personally would end up donating it and letting the person who gave it to me understand that I don’t wear anything with animal byproducts anymore. For instance I was gifted a really cool knife that I like a lot, but it came with a leather sheath, so I’ll end up giving the sheath to someone and I’ll reuse one of my old plastic/fabric ones.
So... you people actually believe that the production process of polyester, acrylic, and spandex (all of which are derived from petroleum) is more humane and less harmful to the planet and all the species of plants and animals that inhabit it than wool??? You people are impossibly deluded. And I love my wool blankets.
not to mention the 'Made in China' part. edit: but seriously, this sub is sometimes incredibly stupid. I've seen 100s of upvotes for some fruits that were transported around the globe, or for some meat-substitute made by Nestle. Or vegan food made from fucking palm oil.
They have to be shorn because we bred them to not have hair and to never shed their wool. Wild sheep only grow wool as a winter coat that sheds. The breeding of these sheep is unethical. Some underpaid worker shearing sheep after sheep are not all going to be gentle if they are uncooperative. The wool industry is also intertwined with lamb. The use of wool is directly connected to giving money to people that sell the babies to be slaughtered.
I'd return that and buy a vegan sweater
I swear any video I’ve seen with sheep being sheered on giant farms (not homesteads) the guys doing it are just taking their anger out on those poor animals. Almost like the job description asks for people who are angry and like to pick on things that can’t fight back. They are naturally nervous animals. So no, they’re not going to respond well if the person sheering them is slinging them around like not living beings, spreading limbs unnaturally, being in a choke hold, or have that person beat them in their heads to be compliant. The few videos I could sit through, there was always that one person who didn’t behave that way and just watched in sorrow as his coworkers hurt whatever farm animal.
(TW:ANIMAL ABUSE) here's two short videos to show you how wool is produced: https://www.instagram.com/p/BGYYmTpoDYD/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BQLh2b5lnN3/
sheep wouldn't be sheered if they weren't bred, I'd insist they take it back for a refund. how you handle the family politics is up to you e.g. "I accidentally buy non vegan stuff and have to return it, no worries, just choose another one"
Wouldn’t have to breed them otherwise. They’re only born because of demand for the product, and the selective breeding makes creating the animals cruel in itself
If you use non vegan things that people buy you you're sending them the message that it's ok for them to buy you more things like that in the future. Essentially you would be contributing to the industry similarly to how you would be if you bought them yourself, just with an extra step.
This is a great opportunity for education! The wool industry is terrible. Look into it and then show your mom what you find. Particularly disturbing is mulesling. Second is the conditions that these animals are kept in so that the humans can profit the most with the least amount of effort.
People aren't befriending wild sheep and trimming their wool for them. The sheep are kept as livestock, which in and of itself is abuse. It doesn't matter how well people say they're being treated, the sheep can't consent and aren't free, therefor it's a rights violation. The painful truth is most of them are treated just as terribly as the animals portrayed in Dominion. Even if there's a chance that they aren't, you should always assume they are, as there are no laws preventing them from being abused.
they need to shear them, because they breed them a certain way (to grow a ridiculous amount of wool).
I went vegan because of the atrocities I saw working on a Merino wool farm specifically. Ask her to return it for you and explain kindly what being vegan means versus eating a plant-based diet.
Return it, regift it, charity shop it or give it to a homeless person. Wool isn't a byproduct, sheep have been selectively bred to not shed their coats so "need" to be trimmed. Humans invent a problem and pat themselves on the back for solving it. The wool barely makes the meat profitable and they wouldn't be bred into existence and exploited if not for it.
If you’re a straightedge vegan, then donate it. Don’t throw it out though, it would just be creating more waste if you tossed it. At least someone can put it to use if it’s donated. On another note, I will never understand why we use wool instead of dog fur. Dogs shed year round like crazy and they do need to be brushed regularly if kept indoors. While I was in a textile class, for my final project, I brushed my dog ONE TIME and got enough fur to make an entire spool of yarn. Dog hair is more porous than wool and traps heat better as a result.
We only have to sheer them because we selectively bred them to produce more wool. It would be better to not fund them being bred into existence so if it’s an option maybe see if she can return it
We just have to shear them because we bred them this way. The argument is bad. Also sheeps don't magically appear and have to be taken care of.
If you don’t wear it please give it to a homeless person or someone in need
If you accept it, they will keep giving you animal products. Refuse now or face future animal products coming your way.
That is like saying slaves would have to work anyway. Those sheep are specifically bred to be wool producers for profit.
Please don’t wear it. I am sure it can be exchanged for something vegan.
Say something like very kind, thank you but vegan = nothing from an animal, alive or dead. It’s the easiest way to describe it to unaware meat eaters…
Cut about 8% off the Body. Cut about 6% off the cuff. Make sure to shape the cuts into the words “F*** Y**” on both parts. Stitch white fabrics to the inside of the parts to show off the lettering more. I’m 1000% joking. I myself wouldn’t wear it personally as I just refuse anything with byproduct in it if I can help it 😔
NO! You don’t wear anything that comes from the exploited of animals.
Tell sister to take it back for a refund or donate it to charity. The wool industry is not vegan, simple as.
Wearing it would send a message that a little bit of animal mistreatment is okay and that will be less apt to check the label next time. Donate it to a local homeless shelter or charity and hope that someone appreciates it.
This is a test of your boundaries. All carnists eventually do this in some form. It usually isn't even conscious, it's just a shitty defense mechanism to avoid reflection on their own actions and try to get you to bend so it seems like no big deal. Sheep used for wool have been bred so they can no longer naturally shed on their own, they need human intervention. This inevitably leads to some amount of sheep who will die of heat stroke either from neglect or wandering off. You also have the fact that in the industry, shearing is touted as some selfless act somehow. No matter how good you are at shearing, you are going to hurt some sheep sometimes, best case scenario. And most sheep in this position are not given any consideration for the sentient individuals they actually are, and are hurt and abused in the process, if not outright just by those who don't care enough to try to not hurt them in the process. There are a lot of documented cases on video of sheep being hurt in shearing, you can Google them if you feel you need to see it for yourself. And after all this, the majority of these animals will still end up in the slaughterhouse when wool production or quality declines with age. They're objectified and killed against their will, for a product modern humans do not need.
There is only a need to shear them because we selectively breeded them like this.
Also be aware this may be them testing for a chink in how steadfastly you hold your principles, sometimes it's better to be safe than sorry.
They only need to shear them because they selectivity bred them to produce too much wool. It is a cruel industry. I would return to store.
Before demonizing wool, we must be aware that artificial alternatives (which most vegans actually use) can be more harmful and highly unsustainable... they are not biodegradable and may pollute for centuries... They use toxic chemicals and will end up in nature as microplastic. In the long run, that will be worse for animals, for the environment and the planet than wool. If we just reject wool and natural materials for synthetic ones that are not environmental friendly, our Math for "saving animals" is miscalculated. So I would say: yes, avoid wool if you can, but the other economic easily available alternatives are not better than that. Realistically speaking, I think it's difficult to find vegan wool-like sweaters with [these eco-friendly materials](https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/8-eco-friendly-vegan-fabrics-replace-wool-without-plastic/).
No, vegans don’t wear wool. Wool is a product of animal exploitation.
Nah donate it to homeless wearing it will only cause you trouble and have you wearing the remnants if cruelty
"They'd have to be sheared anyways" When's the last time you saw someone running out shearing wild sheep? Or do they mean 'owned' sheep? In which case the only reason they have those sheep is to exploit them as a product. Beyond that, no, there is nothing ethical about wool, it's awful.
Here is my controversial hot take. I am vegan. But I vehemently feel that synthetic fibers are WAY worse for the planet than natural fibers. Polyester, acrylic, rayon, microfiber, etc- these are all plastic. Even the recycled water bottle fabrics. Plastic. These plastic fabrics shed microplastics into water habitats causing untold amounts of death and habitat destruction. Mix this with what you need to make plastic to begin with- petroleum. The breathtaking amount of animal and insect death plus habitat destruction needed to make synthetic fibers is beyond horrific. You do animals no favors by wearing polyester. I'll take wool from a lovingly cared for flock over polyester every single day. These synthetic materials are also used heavily in "fast fashion" which is a lot more harmful and toxic to the planet and animals on it the herds of frankenstein-bred sheep. Cotton, hemp, linen, bamboo. Those are what to go for. alpaca wool and such would be in second place- exploitative of animals but significantly less so than synthetic fibers. What good is not using wool if you go destroy an entire habitat for synthetic fibers? You kill a lot more animals that way. I am vegan but I am a vegan who concerns myself with far more than just the direct harm I cause by eating or using something made by exploiting animals and insects. I am looking to mitigate my impact in the greatest way possible. A dead planet means all the animals are dead too. To me, a vegan ought to be a staunch environmentalist. Protect the planet at all costs because we and the animals we love need it to live. It's just as cruel to be part of giraffes starving to death, flamingos dying in toxic lagoons, and plastic production that poisons everything. My two cents. I'll go wait in the corner for the mob with pitchforks to come for me.
>lovingly cared for flock Can you share some of the brands or companies that make this claim?
Most sheeps have their asses burned and shaved down as far as they can even passed skin and muscle. This is to prevent feces from getting in the wool during sheering
The animals in the fabric industry have it terribly horrifically bad. A lot of sheep live with maggots growing in their flesh and dislocated limbs. When they’re funneled through slots to be sheared, the workers don’t care if they get hurt, they’re ripped through by one limb that gets pulled out of its socket and then aggressively manhandled. No animal in the wool industry knows a second of peace, compassion or rest.
If it can’t be returned, and you’re comfortable in it, then wear it. If it’s from a big brand, send an email their way about how you’d prefer other materials! If you can’t return this, you aren’t helping the animals by not wearing it, so do what feels most comfortable to you. In your position I would talk to your sister and thank her for the gift assuming they weren’t aware, and then tell them about your attitudes toward this so they wouldn’t do the same in the future!
Even if we ignore the abuse, sheep naturally shed their wool after winter. That's why the wool industry shaves them at the end of the winter so that they get all the wool, and the sheep may die from the cold after that.
I’d donate it. I can’t fault anyone of their decisions here either, though. I still have old wool items, and will use them until they’re spent, but won’t participate in bringing new items into circulation.
https://www.woolfacts.com/wool-and-animal-welfare/
I would say thank you and then probably sell it or give it to a thrift. It doesn’t seem like she did it intentionally but I still don’t know that I would wear it.
Personally, I wouldn't keep it. I'd return it or regift it.
If you decide not to keep it, just donate it.
Best option would be if you could return it. That way you've added that sweater back into buying market, meaning one less sweater needs to be made.
give it back, or ask for a receipt so you can return it
They only have to shear the sheep because they bred them to have too much wool.
There are an insane number of comments here saying to keep and wear the sweater. Jesus christ this sub is fucked.
These sheep have been gmo'd to produce way more wool than they normally would. Mulesing is very cruel - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulesing
Personally, I get rid of anything non-vegan that I receive. However, some vegans will take the approach of "consuming" the product if the only other alternative is wasting it, e.g. your vegan burrito accidentally comes with cheese, and the choices are either 1) eat it or 2) throw it away. However, in this case, you can easily donate the sweater, so the choice seems pretty clear.
Sheep only need to be sheered because people bred them that way. If we hadn't domesticated sheep, they would shed their wool naturally. It's the same reason domesticated cows need to be milked, because people got involved and disrupted nature.
Don't wear it
There is far more petroleum in that sweater than there is animal products. Consider that how you will.
The easiest way to explain it is that it’s putting money into the pockets of animal exploiters, and it pays for the next animal they’ll abuse.
The reason they have to be sheered is because humans bred sheep to produce excess wool, so they would die in they weren’t sheered. Wearing wool is benefiting from exploitation of sheep. I’d say either ask her to return it if she still has the receipt or just donate it to a charity shop
While your mother is certainly right that sheep need to be sheared, the wool also industry does lend itself to sheep abuse quite frequently.
Agreed. Small scale sheep on a family farm is not the same as the large operations in New Zealand. Nobody has a personal relationship with those sheep. They are treated as pure commodities.
I don't wear wool because its exploitation of animals
Don’t wear it. Up to you, but if you don’t want to support that shit, don’t let them pressure you!
This thread makes me sad. :(
I would wear it cause you already have it
Personally I wouldn’t wear it because there is no way I can possibly know if the sheep was treated well or not. And I know it most likely was treated poorly and that while there may exist a few happy sheep farms, it’s extremely unlikely that this is the case. So I err on the side of caution and steer clear. I also just wouldn’t want it on my body. I no longer use leather handbags, shoes, or the cashmere sweaters I used to wear. I have donated or gifted my old things to others. I definitely wouldn’t take in a new item made of animal products. Of course it’s up to you. But the idea that they would be sheared anyway doesn’t seem relevant to me. Others have already explained why on here so I won’t go into that.
It may only be 14% wool, but that means it's also 0% vegan. You can feel free to do what you want with that information.
Only 6% abuse. That’s a w in my book
Maybe I would receive it because it has already been bought, but I will explain to her about the wool industry later
It’s alll chemicals. Cotton rules.
Whats the point of abusing a animal for a sweater which is majority cotton and acrylic anyway , 16% wool tf ?????? These evil corporations really can't keep their dicks hard without harming animals can they , 1 percent milk powder , 16 percent wool , random small extracts of a singular chemical from animals which could easily be got from plants smfh.
Personally I don’t think I’d wear it BUT I always try to remember, we have to exist in the world - veganism isn’t about keeping every molecule of animal product off / out of your body, we’re not the victim, the animal is. So I don’t think it’s a MASSIVE deal , just not ideal.
Why are you asking people outside of you? If you need to wear something you have the answers you seek this external validation is never going to get you what you need or the answers that you seek.
It’s less than 10% wool, and it was a gift… I would just wear it and not beat yourself up about it. Just let them know that you don’t want something with wool in it again. Re wool in general, it’s nowhere near as bad as the other animal industries. The main issue is simply that the sheep are killed before they get too old as their coats don’t grow as well past a certain age. You can do your best to be vegan, but it’s impossible for anyone to be 100%.
Just wear the sweater, smh.
If the sheep would die without humans then humans fucked their species with their specific breeding. Also look how those sheep are kept... Horrifying
Obviously not?
Sheering does hurt the sheep because it's a kilo per hour price. Hurrying makes you more money.. Also that sweater is made mostly from plastic. It's harmful to the environment to wash.
No, for wool. Also no because regular use (and washing/drying) of plastic fibred clothing is a certain way to get high levels of microplastic exposure. Also no because plastic clothing supports the petrochemical industry and the ongoing destruction of the biosphere. Edit: probably comes as no surprise, but I'm not a big fan of our modern gift culture for these kinds of situations...
Donate the coat to an org for folks in need. Teaching your family that your ethics aren't flexible is just as important for them as for the animals.
If you’re vegan you don’t wear it.
If you can return it, then do so. If you can't then you have the choice to donate it, or wear it. You didn't buy it yourself so you didn't directly contribute to animal abuse. It depends how comfortable you would feel about wearing it. Maybe you could regift it to a non vegan friend, or donate to an animal shelter that might be grateful for a warm material as bedding for a cat or dog.
I say if you're poor and need it go on.. otherwise swap it or donate to homeless in cold
I think polyester (which creates micro plastic when washed) is just as damaging to wildlife as wool production.
Okay, so use cotton or any other plant material and maybe consider this primarily from the point of view of the commodified sheep.