Ethical Issues In Fashion Industry

When we hear the words “Fashion Industry”, we tend to think about designer clothing, models and new fashion trends. Little do we know about the production of raw materials such as textile, leather and fur, transportation and retailing that form this enormous industry. The transportation and production of these materials generally have a negative impact on the environment .The fashion industry is also known to support the fur industry. Many ethical issues come to mind when we talk about fur used in fashion, such as animal cruelty.
If we take a look at the clothes in our wardrobe, we can see that most of them contain polyester, a cheap fiber that is very prominent in the textile industry. However, polyester, elastane and lycra are difficult

to recycle, sometimes taking up to 40 years to decompose. “Fashion feeds a growing industry and ranks textile and clothing as the world’s second-biggest economic activity for intensity of trade”. Despite the stylish and unique clothes that result from Fashion, its impact on the environment is becoming a big problem.
Other than causing environmental issues, millions of animals are killed annually for the sake of fashion. The fur industry is known to treat their animals in cruel and inhumane ways. Fur can either be acquired by trapping and skinning wild animals or raising them for their fur. “Eighty-five percent of the fur industry’s skins come from animals living captive in fur factory farms”. The methods used by farmers to kill animals often involve electrocution, suffocation or poison given that there are no federal laws protecting animals in fur factory farms.
Most of the fur in the United States comes from China, where domestic animals like cats and dogs are killed in the most brutal and barbaric ways. Fur can often be mislabeled intentionally making it more expensive. On the other hand, animals who are trapped in the wild generally suffer for a longer period of time, whether it’s from blood loss, dehydration or attacks from predators.
In conclusion, the fashion industry has always been the center of many ethical issues and is not always fair to models, manufacturers or consumers. Supporting the fur industry is a major ethical problem since it’s no different from supporting animal cruelty. After knowing the consequences of using fur in clothing, should designers reconsider their choices or should consumers stop supporting them?