Winter is here! That means snow, holiday cheer, and bundling up for warmth. The problem for some is choosing between bundling up with real fur or the alternative, faux fur. Whether you are totally against real fur or absolutely for it, there are a few things to think about.

Big designers around the world are making flashy statements about “banning real fur” from the runways, their magazines, and more. London Fashion Week recently banned real fur from their global fashion show in 2016. Burberry’s creative director Riccardo Tisci, at London Fashion Week, said, “I don’t think it is compatible with modern luxury and with the environment in which we live...”

This seems great, right? No more cruel animal murder?

Possibly, but the long term consequences are much more dangerous than they might realize. After all, it doesn’t sound as catchy to say “switch from buying mostly polyester faux fur that will never biodegrade and invest in sustainable fashion instead!” That being said, here are a few things you may want to consider before you make your decision.

Eco-Effect of Faux vs Fur?

Experts from the Organic Waste Systems laboratory in Ghent, Belgium have looked at the difference between the way real fur and fake fur degrade in conditions set up like a landfill, and the results are surprising. They found that natural fur biodegrades quickly, even “in landfill conditions without oxygen as opposed to faux fur which does not biodegrade at all.” Furthermore, they found that faux fur showed “no biodegradation, which according to the researchers was not unexpected due to the composition of the synthetic fibers. In addition, synthetic fashion materials are known to break down into ever smaller pieces, eventually forming microplastic fibers – a contributor to plastic pollution.” You can look at a quick fact sheet here, as well as a copy of the report, available here.

Many high-level officials agree that faux fur is not a better solution in the long run. For example, Mark Oaten, CEO of the International Fur Federation and past member of the U.K. Parliament, had this to say about this study’s findings: “Fake fur has been promoted as the sustainable alternative to natural fur, but in reality, it is highly polluting. An ethic concerned with the protection of individual animals is pointless if the ecosystem where the animals live is destroyed.”

Oaten goes on to mention big names in fashion, calling them out for claiming to care about the environment and using all faux furs on the runway, stating that, “Brands like Gucci and Versace should think again about ending their use of fur – if they really care about sustainability they should read this study – it clearly shows that natural fur is less harmful than fake when it comes to landfill. Anybody who wants to support sustainable fashion should think about the long-term impact of using plastic-based products that will stay in a landfill for decades.

Refinery29 goes into great detail about the implications of faux fur on the environment in their article: “Faux Fur: Good For Ethics, Bad For The Planet?”

Ethical Fur?

Many animal-lovers oppose the idea of wearing fur, claiming and believing that faux fur saves minks and rabbits from ending up in fur farms. They say that real fur promotes the murder of animals and is inherently evil.

Take, for example, Kendall Jenner. She posted a photo on Instagram of herself draped in a large, luxurious fur coat and was heavily shamed for it, both from followers and fashion gurus. One of Britain's largest tabloid magazines, Metro.co.uk, commented that Jenner was “wearing what definitely looked like the product of animal torture.”

However, is real fur really contributing and enabling these types of injustices? In some instances, it can be acquired not only ethically, but in a way that actually solves another problem! This may surprise you as it did me, but there are natural furs that come from species non-native and destructive to the area they inhabit. They are called nutria. The nutria is an animal that is invasive and harmful to Louisiana’s wetlands as they eat native vegetation and cause extreme, premature erosion. In addition, they have overpopulated the wetlands as they have no natural predator.

To buy this type of fur check out Righteous Fur, a fashion company that specializes in the use of nutria fur in New Orleans. This is a niche market, but buying nutria fur is an environmentally conscious alternative to faux fur. It’s good for the environment and contributes to an effort to control these invasive animals.

Sustainably Stylish

Finally, another less cruel way to wear fur, and the best way, in my opinion, is to get vintage real fur from antique or thrift stores. Not only does this process counteract the tons of clothes being created each day, but it also is inexpensive.

When you buy a vintage real fur item you invest in something that will last. Your purchase becomes more sustainable the longer you keep it as real fur coat is typically kept for 30 years compared to a faux fur coat that’s kept for six.

There are ethical concerns regarding to the use of animal fur that we should be mindful of. At the same time, we should understand that faux fur also has many negatives, like never degrading in landfills, and contributing to the excess of clothing being created, aka “fast fashion.” So the facts are: faux fur takes a very long time to decompose, if ever, and real fur biodegrades at the same rate as an oak leaf. As far as animal concerns go, yes, there are animal farms and cruel fur trades, but the overall buying of second-hand clothing and fur, or fur from an invasive species, is the most ethical way to wear beautiful real fur.

So this winter season, when you bundle up, remember that acquiring fur can be moral if done right. If you are interested in sustainable fashion, shop at thrift stores and think twice before throwing something out. After all, ladies and gentlemen must take an active role in the world around them and remember that the choices they make a have significant impact.