Is fur really coming in from the cold?

An ethical conundrum to start the day along with all the eco news from the North East and North Yorkshire

Good morning! I’m Sarah Hartley and this is The Northern Eco weekly update. As you’ve received this newsletter then either you subscribed, or someone forwarded it to you. If the latter, then you can click on this handy little button below.

Reduce, reuse, recycle is the oft quoted mantra - but is there a limit to that approach to sustainability? That was the dilemma I found myself considering after hearing from the young people who are taking to vintage fur. As well as exploring that issue, we’ve plenty of other eco news to share too including:

• Drax's funding cut

• UK’s largest lithium extraction facility approved

• The mystery of the orange harbour water

I never imagined I would be writing about fur coats in 2025. Not just because fashion has only ever had a passing reference here, but also because I’d fondly imagined that particular animal rights fight was already won. I grew up in the era of fur being an absolute no-no. Furriers (some of which could still be found on the High Street in the 80s and 90s) were regularly attacked with paint or even fireworks and eventually faded from view. Highly memorable ads like the one above were the norm and I had believed they were highly successful in changing public opinion.

So why is Gen Z looking again at real fur?

“It’s all natural, weatherproof, warmer and lasts longer” one student told me, “I like the look and, because I never buy any new clothes, it’s a way of using up many amazing pieces of clothing.”

With charity shops shunning real fur, these young shoppers have to hunt around for their purchases. Even the Vinted shopping app has a specific exclusion on reselling fur.

But, I discovered, there’s still a ready supply via vintage and thrift shops and plenty of fashion conscious young people willing to buy it. One Durham Uni student even recently hosted a fur themed party where all guests were required to dress in real fur.

“I think it honestly depends on how much you’re into fashion as an expression”, said the purchaser of the 70s beaver and leather coat, pictured. “It’s also more sustainable than faux fur which releases microplastics with regular washing.”

Fur jacket: “smells a bit musty” she said

Leading fashion writer Tiffanie Darke, of It’s Not Sustainable agreed that faux fur is “hugely unsustainable (made from plastic) and will not bio-degrade. It also tends to be low quality and low cost so it doesn’t hang around for long.”

This surprising trend has also featured in The Guardian, but rather than explaining it as a sustainable option for price conscious students, writer Lucianne Tonti put it down to:

“the rise of brat summer, the mob wife look and the end of the clean girl aesthetic.”

In researching this article, I found that many people were still reluctant to speak about the issue. Not one of the many Northern fashion lecturers I contacted would even respond to my request for an interview.

Darke felt there was more of an ethical than a sustainable argument at the centre of this debate which she spells out here.

“Sustainability wise, fur is biodegradeable, it is not produced in mass volume like it used to be and it tends to be a high value product that is used for years (hence its popularity with thrifters).

“Ethically, if you object to animals being a source of material for clothing, then it’s all wrong. Whereas leather tends to be a by product of the meat industry, fur tends to be bred especially for clothing (rabbit, mink etc). I notice that trend wise, fur is making a comebck as a vintage item. In terms of where you stand you need to pick a side - sustainability or ethics.“

I’d love to hear what you think? The comments are open below and you can cast a vote here.

The three most clicked links from last week were:

Calls for action over 62 hour sewage release

What’s on: Eco Events for February 2025

Willis Sustainable Fuels

In other news

🌳 Drax's further reporting failure exposed writes Joe Crowley for BBC News. The North Yorkshire power station didn't properly disclose burning forest wood. Meanwhile, Julia Kollewe at The Guardian reports that the UK government has halved subsidies for Drax and ordered it to use 100% sustainable wood after sustained criticism over its business model.

💨 Around £10 million of Newcastle Clean Air Zone (CAZ) funding to help people replace their high-polluting vehicles with cleaner models remains unused, writes Daniel Holland at North East Bylines.

🏠 Andrew Spence at the Hull Daily Mail reports that East Riding Council's cabinet has approved £800,000 of funding towards a new housing development for those displaced by coastal erosion.

🌿 Dame Judi Dench has supported plans to turn a field in Great Ouseburn into a nature reserve, writes Robert Caulfield at The Stray Ferret.

“Moving from coal to clean energy, we can lead the green industrial revolution. The closure of the coalmines marked the end of an era, but just as we powered the last industrial revolution, it’s now time for our communities to lead the next one as we transition to a clean and green economy.” Harry Taylor at The Northern Echo follows the MPs’ call for more green energy projects in the North East.

💦 Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust has been awarded £245,000 in lottery funding to work with communities writes Joe Willis at RichmondshireToday.

🟠 A cross-government team is to be set up in a bid to tackle a long-running issue with brown and orange harbour water at Whitehaven, Cumbria, reports the BBC .

• There’s plenty of eco events going on this month but there’s room for more so if you’re organising one that you’d like to publicise for free - get in touch.

• We’ll be back on Tuesday next week!

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