What if the non-vegan option is more sustainable? - Being a conscious consument can be so difficult.

Before I start I may want to leave the disclaimer, that I do not identify as vegan. I identify as someone, who tries to live as sustainable as I possibly can and be conscious about the products I consume. Let's just say, I identify as an Earth warrior :)

I greatly support movements, that go against animal cruelty and I've been a strict vegan for many years.

But in all this time, I still consumed products like leather, wool, honey - hear me out:

There are pros and cons about pretty much any material - ethical, ecological, sustainable - but when I see people getting 100% plastic shoes because they are cruelty-free, it does break my heart a little.
Although those cheap plastic shoes may not directly harm an animal as leather for example would, they still hurt the environment and indirectly the wildlife by they way how they are produced, short-lived they are and waste they create.

I have a bit of a medieval approach to clothing and everyday items: I have few things and wear them a lot - the most important factor for me is durability - does the thing look like it will still be usable in 5 years? What if it breaks down, does it seem like it would create a lot of toxines when being burned?

Most natural products last a whole lot longer than synthetic materials. If you get a pair of high-quality leather boots, they will probably last you for almost a lifetime, if you take good care of them - and the same goes for wool socks, etc. Plus: when they do go to waste, they can rot properly, unlike synthetic fibres that might be vegan, but I don't even want to know how much emission, immission and transmission they create during production and removal.
When I have the choice between one leather belt or 10 plastic ones, I'll immediately go with the first option. All the waste created by plastic items is painful to see.

The key is though, to not get said products at the well known and cheap stores, but pay a little more for actual quality and sustainability. If a leather belt only costs 10€, you can imagine, that a) the quality is not that supreme and b) it was probably manufactured in a way, that you do not want to support.

Honey is a completely different story that I am very passionate about - I think I'll dedicate a specific blogpost on that eventually (I was actually convinced I already had).

Sometimes I think it can be so easy to forget, that an animal-free choice is not always automatically the most environmental friendly one...
Instead of consuming local meat, I choose to eat fruit and vegetables that are not always so local, in order to still get the nutrients I need and thus it's still quite bad for the environment. Still I refuse to eat an animal based diets and accept, that eventhough I am doing a lot of good, I am also having a negative impact on the environment at the same time. No one is a saint when it comes to sustainability, but it is important to be educated on it and strive to improve.

My beauty products for example are 100% natural, zero-waste and cruelty free and the few items that come with a packaging are made from recycled material.

Of course everyone has their priorities set in a different way and that is completely fine, all I' saying is: think about it, before you buy or not buy something and then decide, what option you prefer personally - there is always a second side of the medal and we must not forget that.

Another great option in my opinion is to get leather or wool products from a local fleasmarket or in a thrift shop.

What is something that you think you could aim to improve?