Fur

Mink

Mink is the most farmed fur animal, accounting for 85% of all animals raised for their fur.
50% of mink farms are in Europe.
Confinement is particularly distressing to minks, who occupy up to 2,500 acres of wetland habitat in the wild. This anguish leads minks to self-mutilate, biting their skin, tails, and feet and frantically pace and circle endlessly.6 Foxes, raccoons, and other animals cannibalize cage mates in response to high-density confinement.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Denmark ‘culled’ 17 million minks in response to outbreaks at 200 mink farms.17

To make one fur coat requires up to 12 beavers, 15 wolves, 30 raccoons, 40 foxes, 80 minks, or 120 chinchillas.5
Trappers call these animals “trash kills” because they have no economic value. The American Veterinary Medical Association reports that trash kills can account for up to 67% of the total catch thus posing a major threat to wildlife and causing unintended ecological consequences.7 Regulations require that traps be checked daily to weekly, leaving these animals suffering for extended periods.8

Thirty-three toxic chemicals banned across Europe are used to process fur in China.11 The surfactants, solvents, acids, tannins, fungicides, dyes, and bleaches used in fur dressing can cause both acute and chronic health issues for workers, ranging from skin and eye irritation to cancer.12
Fur skins are dressed in formaldehyde and chromium, both listed as carcinogens and toxic to humans.
Contrary to common belief, fur is not easily biodegradable following processing. In fact, chemical treatments are applied specifically to prevent fur from rotting. The Fur Commission states that, “After processing, fur pelts are soft and pliable, and the natural beauty of the fur will last for decades.”25 Needless to say, something that will ‘last for decades’ is not easily biodegradable.