Are vegan alternatives to leather, fur, and wool unnatural?
Created on: March 4, 2026
Last edited on: March 4, 2026
“Vegan products are completely unnatural.”
This argument does not only appear in discussions about vegan diet, but also about clothing. Some people believe they have to wear leather, fur, or wool because vegan alternatives are unnatural and therefore harmful to the environment.
Before taking a closer look at the environmental factor, it first needs to be clarified what “unnatural” actually means and whether it is a meaningful criterion.
What does “unnatural” mean?
In most cases, the term is used to describe something that does not occur in nature. Socially, it is often also used to mean “chemical” or “synthetic.” Under this definition, untreated leather, fur, or wool would be considered natural. However, animal materials are also processed industrially, for example in the tanning of leather or the bleaching of wool. The final products are far removed from their natural state. One thing remains clear: modern clothing is almost always a technical product - regardless of whether it comes from animal or plant sources. This alone shows that the naturalness argument does not hold up.
In addition, the assumption that natural things are always good and unnatural things are always bad is a so-called naturalistic fallacy. To illustrate this: every technological advancement is, by definition, unnatural - from hospitals and vision aids to smartphones. If naturalness were applied consistently as a standard, almost everything that defines modern life would have to be rejected.
Naturalness is not an Environmental Label
Natural does not automatically mean environmentally friendly, and unnatural does not automatically mean harmful to the environment. Volcanic eruptions, methane from swamps, and heavy metals are natural, yet they still burden the environment. On the other hand, solar panels, wind turbines, or recycling are unnatural and at the same time beneficial for our environment.
The principle can also be applied to ethical aspects: untreated leather, fur, and wool are natural, yet they are associated with breeding, abuse, and often the murder of animals. In the documentary DOMINION, you can see the practices used in these industries. Vegan leather, fake fur, and similar materials, on the other hand, do not involve animal abuse.
We can conclude that naturalness alone says virtually nothing about how good or right something is.
Vegan Clothing - Environmental Concerns
“I don’t want to wear plastic, that’s bad for the environment” - this or similar objections are often raised against vegan clothing.
The environment is not inherently related to veganism as an ethical stance toward other animals - nevertheless, it is an important topic that we want to address here.
First, there are many vegan materials that do not contain plastic, for example cotton, linen, or jute.
Second, synthetic materials such as polyester, nylon, or acrylic are by no means worn only by people who live vegan.
Third, clothing made from plastic is not automatically bad - it offers functional advantages such as durability and weather resistance. The main issues arise from microplastic abrasion, fossil-based raw materials, and difficult recycling.
It should be acknowledged that, for example, faux leather is usually made from PU or PVC, which are largely fossil-based and can cause environmental problems. At the same time, animal leather is not an ecologically neutral product either. First, animal farming causes methane emissions and requires resources such as land and feed. After the animals have been murdered and skinned, enormous amounts of water and concerning chemicals are used in further processing. One example is chrome tanning, which represents the industry standard. Not every chrome tanning process is environmentally harmful - standards and wastewater treatment are decisive. The reality, however, is that in many production countries (e.g., India, Bangladesh), missing wastewater treatment plants lead to extreme pollution of waterways with chromium, which harms fish and microorganisms.
At the same time, new vegan alternatives such as cactus leather, apple leather, or pineapple leather are being developed. These alternatives combine plant-based raw materials with lower environmental impacts - but they are also industrial products.
Both non-vegan and vegan clothing can place a burden on the environment. The environmental impact depends heavily on production conditions, durability, and disposal. A general environmental hierarchy cannot be established. The main difference remains that vegan clothing does not involve animal abuse.
If you have similar concerns regarding cosmetics, cleaning products, and so on, the same logic can be applied. Although the ingredients are different, the same principle holds: neither vegan nor non-vegan products are inherently better or worse for the environment. Vegan products, however, avoid animal abuse.
Leather, Fur, and Wool Industries
The Decisive Difference: Necessity
Historically, animals were used for clothing because alternatives were lacking. Without furs or animal hides, our ancestors likely would not have survived many cold winters. Even then, animals certainly did not give their lives voluntarily, but the necessity was very different from what it is today.
Today, vegan alternatives exist for leather, fur, wool, down, silk, and more, which can fulfill functions such as providing warmth. This changes the starting point of the debate. If a product can be replaced functionally, the discussion shifts. Animal abuse can no longer be justified by necessity.
Conclusion - What remains of the “Unnatural” Argument?
Together, we have recognized:
- Almost all modern products are technically manufactured.
- Animal materials are also processed industrially.
- Naturalness says nothing about environmental impact or ethics.
- Vegan alternatives have ecological advantages and disadvantages - just like animal products.
Naturalness is therefore not a reliable argument. In the end, the question remains: if vegan clothing fulfills the same function, has no fundamental ecological disadvantage, and avoids animal abuse - how can you justify continuing to buy non-vegan clothing?
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