California goes fur-free with a statewide ban on animal fur products officially from Jan 1

January 4th, 2023

Whether or not you consider yourself a climate activist or vegan, most of us are aware of how fur production is a very hazardous and energy-intensive operation. It has animal waste overflow from fur factory farms damaging soil and waterways and pelts being dipped in poisonous chemical soups. Fur is far from being a natural resource. If you take a closer look at the process you will notice that animals raised on fur farms are not protected by laws governing humane treatment of animals or humane slaughter, and they are subjected to some of the most appalling living conditions possible, including being crammed into cramped cages where they are unable to move, living on top of one another in cages, and being exposed to both sweltering heat and subzero temperatures. Therefore this is precisely why the state-wide prohibition on the sale and production of new animal fur products that went into effect in California on January 1 is being celebrated.

California became the first state in the nation to take this historic action to put an end to the fur trade within its borders with the passage of Assembly Bill 44 in 2019. The bill was supported by the Humane Society of the United States and Animal Hope in Legislation, and it was championed by Assembly member Laura Friedman, a Democrat from Glendale. Local, national, and international animal welfare organisations strongly backed the legislation.

Image Source: ELLE

Changemakers voiced their support for the move

“The year 2023 marks a historic step forward for California with the implementation of a law that truly represents the values of our constituents,” said Assembly member Friedman. “Californians do not want to see animals live and die in cruel ways for nothing more than fashion, and I’m so pleased that this law will help uphold our state’s animal welfare standards as well as potentially help drive innovation for more sustainable fashion alternatives.”

“We are grateful to California for taking a stand against the cruel fur industry by implementing this statewide ban on the production and sale of new fur products,” said Jenny Berg, California state director for the Humane Society of the United States. “The fact that around 100 million animals are still raised and killed in fur factory farms for nothing more than a fur coat, hat or other product is archaic, especially when humane, environmentally sustainable alternatives exist. We applaud California for leading the fight against fur and sending a powerful message that animals should no longer suffer and die for fashion.”

Fashion businesses and companies with fur-free policies

A number of fashion businesses and companies had fur-free policies that went into effect on the same day as the bill. By the end of 2022, Canada Goose, Kering, Saks Fifth Avenue, Zegna Group, Rudsak, Mytheresa, and Moose Knuckles all vowed to stop using fur. By March 2023, Neiman Marcus will stop selling fur products.

Details of the law

1. The law exempts used fur items sold through nonprofit thrift stores, consignment shops, and pawn shops from its prohibition on the sale of new fur products. Other apparel made from animal products, such leather or shearling, is exempt from this rule.

2. The law has no bearing on who is allowed to own furs or wear fur, either.

3. Both brick-and-mortar establishments and internet retailers selling fur products into California must abide by the regulation.

4. The California Attorney General's office, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and local law enforcement all have a joint role in law enforcement. Any of these offices can provide Californians with information about the sale of new fur. Penalties for first offences are $500, second offences are $750, and subsequent offences are $1,000.

Image Source: PETA

Four cities that passed similar laws

Retail sales of fur clothing in the United States reached just over $574 million in 2017, according to the 2017 Economic Census, with the majority of these sales occurring in California at just under $129 million, followed by New York with nearly $115 million. Nearly 43% of all fur purchases in the nation were made in California and New York combined in 2017. However, Assembly Bill 44 was made possible thanks to similar laws that four California cities had already passed: West Hollywood (2013), Berkeley (2017), Los Angeles (2018), and San Francisco (2018). Twelve American cities, including five in Massachusetts, have approved ordinances phasing out new fur sales as of this writing, while Israel became the first nation to outlaw fur trade in 2021.

The global outlook for a fur-free future

Nearly 20 nations in Europe have already outlawed fur farming, and the Humane Society International is currently working with other organisations to collect signatures in support of a European Citizens' Initiative calling for the outlawing of fur farming and the sale of goods derived from fur farming in Europe. Even though the petition has already obtained the required 1 million signatures by May 2023 for the European Commission to provide a formal response, it is still available to collecting more signatures, so EU residents are encouraged to sign it.