Isobel, it doesn’t seem that there is anything helpful that can be done, since sooner or later a faux fur will probably crumble just because the fibers break or become detached from the backing. And the quickest way to do this is to put it in the washing machine. If you’re worried about what to do with an old faux fur, you can use it to line a drawer and it’ll probably still be intact in 1,000 years. The best thing you can do is simply not to buy another one 🙂

Hi Lisa, please consider doing some fact-checking. 1) You’re apparently referring to old-style steel-jawed leghold traps. It would be naive of us to claim that no one is still using them, but in almost all corners of North America today they are either banned or not recommended as part of best management practices. They have been replaced by modern foothold traps that ensure no damage is caused, which is why the same traps are used by wildlife biologists for such purposes as tagging and relocation. 2) It’s been well documented that the fur trade does not skin animals alive. See for example https://truthaboutfur.com/skinning-fur-animals-alive-video-exposed-as-complete-fraud/ 3) Seriously depleting wildlife in the US through over-hunting cannot happen these days, while some species – including beaver – may be more abundant today than at any time in history. See for example https://truthaboutfur.com/abundant-furbearers-environmental-success-story/

This article smacks of an ad to persuade the reader that animals are running freely and are only harvested when overabundant. What joke. Those poor animals that are trapped in the wild are done so by inhumane trapping methods using traps that mame the animal, leaving it to writhe in pain and wait who knows how long before they are discovered. Don’t tell me this isn’t true, I’ve seen it done in my own state of Arizona (see your coyote article). Truth is, many animals are caged for the entire lives. Fur coming from China could very well be that of a cat or dog as well, skinning them alive has been well documented. Additionally, many animals have been hunted to near Extinction FOR THEIR FUR/SKIN in the US: Beaver, wolves, alligator… Just to name a few. How dare you jump on the sustainability platform as a way to continue to perpetrate torture.

The Huia (bird) of New Zealand was hunted to extinction for its feathers

We are struggling here to think of a single species that has been hunted to extinction in modern times for its fur or feathers. Can you name one? The chinchilla apparently came close, but is now strictly protected in the wild. Meanwhile … if you rule out the use of both animal and plant products like timber, you don’t leave many options for creating a sustainable future.

Try telling that to the thousands of species hunted to extinction for their fur, feathers, bones etc etc.
As for the countless trees felled in the name of the timber industry and self replenishing is clearly a nonsense.