3 min read
Progress! The nonprofit GreaterGood has scrapped its “humane” claims about wool and silk following a warning from PETA. In March 2024, we fired off a letter to the organization’s CEO informing him that cruelty is the norm in the wool and silk industries. PETA entities have revealed that workers mutilate screaming, defenseless sheep for wool and that delicate silkworms are boiled to death in their cocoons for silk.
GreaterGood made misleading claims about “100% verified and cruelty free wool,” “[h]umanely gathered alpaca wool,” and “cruelty-free” silk. As we noted in our letter, these claims deceive consumers into thinking that such products exist when they do not. In response to our demand, the organization removed its “humane” and “cruelty-free” claims about wool, alpaca, and silk products.
Why Wool and Silk Can Never Be Humane
Exposés by PETA entities of 117 wool industry operations around the world have all revealed violence and abuse, including that workers kick, punch, and slit the throats of conscious, struggling sheep. A PETA investigation into the world’s largest privately owned alpaca farm uncovered that workers hit the animals, slammed them onto tables, and sheared them with such speed and carelessness that many were left with deep wounds, which workers sewed up with a needle and thread.
Silk is derived from the cocoons of larvae, so most of the insects raised by the industry don’t live past the pupal stage before they’re steamed or gassed to death by the billions—if not trillions—every year. GreaterGood also advertised “peace silk,” for which manufacturers allow cocoons to hatch and breed, causing the silkworm population to spike and hundreds of caterpillars per cocoon to die, often from starvation and dehydration.
Because of the cruelty inherent in these industries, no animal-derived material sold by GreaterGood can be considered “humane” by any stretch of the imagination—but at the very least, the brand’s customers now won’t be misled by false claims.
Every Animal Is Someone
Every animal is a unique individual with their own interests and needs. Sheep often leap into the air with excitement when they see their friends and family, and alpacas are known to nuzzle one another to show their affection. From social sheep and alpacas to sensitive silkworms, all sentient beings have the capacity to suffer.
How GreaterGood Can Actually Do Greater Good
GreaterGood knows that today’s conscious consumers want to support responsible, humane brands. If the organization is really “committed to making a difference,” as it claims on its website, it needs to switch to sustainable vegan materials that are kinder to our fellow animals and the planet. You can make a difference by asking GreaterGood to lead with compassion.
