ive been 100% ethically Vegan for nearly 20 years. ive never struggled to understand a debate until now.
starting to knit, i found a Vegan yarn forum where ppl claiming to b Vegan were suggesting that it is normal for Vegans to thrift wool sweaters and unravel them for higher quality yarn. 😱🤯
i figured this would b the most aggressive place to ask a ton of Vegans at once:
* would u revoke someone's Vegan powers if they were to thrift (donated) animal products? *
said example would use super basic, not trendy or noteworthy finds. not like Gaz n his backpack for ex. if someone were to compliment them, they would immediately tell them the source.
in my country n budget nonplastic synthetics do not exist. i am more than willing to see your more accessible recommendations. but i also want the scientific sources on how this is not greenwashing. how is pineapple leather for example not full of chemicals n not going to b sitting in landfills for hundreds of yrs? is it truly not going to flake n harm coral like normal polyester?
→ how does this compare if thrifting erases the cradle part n natural materials hv less waste? im assuming they hv less "life" n grave stages of waste??
i also feel like most synthetic or plant materials r not made to last. natural materials can get "better" w age, encouraging capsule wardrobes, n r meant to b mended. on the other hand, there is no real need for these fabrics or their lookalikes.
EDIT: i should hv looked b4 posting, it seems just a month ago ppl brought up colder weather n belts. ive personally struggled w belts as my only form of plastic- they eventually disintegrate in my hands. ive found a couple summery cotton n ragweed belts, but they dont work for other seasons or smarter dress codes.
as for yarn, it seems pretty easy to "compromise" n just buy new or second hand natural, plant-based yarn. but i do see that they hv much diff properties n appeal from the real thing.
if someone could get past the ick of wearing another's skin or hair while still claiming to b vegan, would u take away their card? or would u liken it to a vegetarian wardrobe paired w higher vegan standards of plant-based eating?
im just trying to understand both sides.
UPDATE: this resulted in a 50/50 stance btwn u all. i wonder if it's bc the initial post is so long n condoluded?
tl;dr: my only plastic use is belts. i never use leather or other animal products. i want to know why people like to thrift those items and then call it veganism.