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So, if one is converting to veganism for ethical/spiritual reasons, what is commonly done with the leather/fur/wool/existing foodstuffs that the person already has?
Say, if you just bought a new leather jacketstill in perfect condition, is it better to use it until it wears out, give it to the poor so you can set a good example to others by not wearing it in public, or have a respectful burial of such items out of respect for the creature who died?
And should you eat the eggs and cheese that are still in your refrigerator?
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All of these decisions are very personal and should be made by the individual.
I think that typically, someone who has just bought leather wouldn’t normally chose to go vegan due to personal epiphany, but I’ll bite. If you have recently purchased leather or fur, or have "inherited" it, or been gifted some, or it fell out of the sky, you won it, whatever. It’s up to you. You could give it away if you were uncomfortable wearing it, but you could also keep it and use it until it wore out. Leather lasts longer and has less overall environmental impact than many synthetics, so it makes sense.
Burying it, burning it, throwing it away, etc, all seem very wasteful to me and in my eyes could even dishonor the animal who died. (Make their death in vain, I mean… while I wouldn’t actively support the industry by purchasing anything, if the purchase has been made, I wouldn’t waste it on principle.)
The best options, I think, are to either get as much use out of it as you can until it is no longer wearable, or give it to someone else who will give it as much use as possible.
As for the remaining foods, it’s also up to you. I probably wouldn’t go vegan suddenly like that, but whenever I have given up something, I’ve given away any "leftovers" to neighbors and friends.
Again, this is a very personal choice. Think about your reasons for going vegan. What inspired you? Perhaps let that be your guide. If it was a specific person, talk to them about these questions. I mean, you obviously shouldn’t go vegan to impress someone, or to make them accept you (how silly would that be?), your reasons have to be your own… but if they’re someone you admire, they might be able to help clarify some of these things for you.
Good luck to you.
Give it to someone whos not a vegan x
The vegan authors of the book ”How it all Vegan” admit that they still use their old leather belts and other leather items. Their animal products were purchased at a time when they were *not* vegan, so they say it’s pointless to throw it out or waste it. They say they will never buy animal products again though, and that when their leather items are of no use anymore, they will purchase vegan alternatives. I think that this is a sensible perspective, I take a similar view. You can give your animal derived clothing and items to family or charity shops, it’s entirely up to you.
By definition, vegans do not eat anything from an animal. If you are going vegan, you can use up the animal products you do have, then swap them for vegan alternatives on your next grocery shopping trip. =)
I ate everything in my kitchen that has egg and dairy that my husband wouldn’t eat. It took about a week between the time I started shopping vegan and the time I started eating vegan.
I haven’t had anything wool or leather for years, but if I did I would probably keep it until it wore out. Actually, that’s what I did with my leather shoes and sandals when I went vegetarian.
I would probably sell it on ebay… not the eggs and cheez… if there were only a few eggs I’d maybe eat them..
well if your going vegan and you have leather jackets and stuff then you should give it to someone who needs it. thats what i would do. and if you have a few eggs left then just eat them.
The used leather and wool is totally up to you as long as you don’t buy any more.
It’s definitely not going to hurt to eat the animal products that you already paid for.
I read some forum about becoming vegan, and it said that you should use up all your unvegan food before you become vegan, and then stop buying them. If they’re in the house, it’s more tempting. As for the jacket, I’d sell it or give it to a friend.
Yes, I think it makes sense to use up what I have already purchased.
On the one hand, the leather/animal products shouldn’t go to waste. So someone should still be getting some use out of them. On the other hand, if I were becoming vegan, I’d want to make a statement about my lifestyle through what I wear. So I wouldn’t want to wear anything that went against my principles anymore.
The best thing to do would be to donate the clothes to charity, and donate the food to a soup kitchen.
Donate it all (hold the non food stuff until you have replaced them). It won’t take much research to find a shelter or food pantry in your area.
I took a month or so to transition into veganism, food-wise. So, I ate some of what I had in the kitchen and my omnivore boyfriend at the rest. Most of my existing leather I’m still wearing/using until it wears out, but I did donate a couple of items to Goodwill.
It’s really just a matter of choice. I have a vegan friend who has a pair of pregan leather shoes that she’s still wearing 3 or 4 years later and it doesn’t make her any less vegan to me. I get the idea that wearing that stuff might send the message that wearing leather is desirable, but honestly, I think most people already take wearing leather for granted and your shoes aren’t going to introduce anyone new to the wonders of cowhide.
I give it to my best friend — he eats that kind of stuff.
Everybody must decide for themselves where to draw that boundary. There is no hard and fast rule about what to do with the non-vegan items that are leftover from "Before", as every person’s journey to veganism is different, and not everyone can afford to purge *everything* all at once.
Personally speaking – I will continue to use my wool coat and shoes with leather until they fall apart, but I am also actively looking for replacements. When I find acceptable replacements, I will donate the old items.
Food-wise, I purged every non-vegan item from my cupboards, fridge, freezer. Most of the items were opened and mostly used, thus non-donate-able. Some things, like eggs and milk, stayed because my husband is an omni.
Product-wise, I am using up the last of the non-vegan cleaning stuff, beauty products, etc with plans to buy comparable vegan products on forthcoming shopping trips.