What about the leather belt?

We're 21 days into Veganuary and no doubt you've been making some changes in the meals you are having, products you're buying...etc. but you might be wondering what to do about the stuff that isn't so easily replaced. First, I will tell you that you are not alone, a lot of new vegans (and some not so new vegans) spend some time thinking about this.

I will share my story and offer another option as well.

When I went vegetarian in 2001, I was living with my parents, had very few bills, and no savings plan so I made the decision to give away and replace any clothing that was made from animal products including a wool sweater, leather shoes and sneakers as well as handbags and wallets. I didn't wear belts so that was a non-issue for me. It didn't feel right to sell these items and it didn't feel right to throw them away and create more trash, giving them away felt right to me. I was not comfortable wearing or carrying these items as I now saw them for what they are, the skins of animals who had an interest in their own lives. I did not want to give off the illusion that wearing and using these items is okay, when for me, they were not.

Not everyone is as lucky as I was and in a position where giving away commonly and often used items is an option. I certainly would not be in such a position today if I were just going vegan now. Some vegans will hang onto these items and use them until they need to be replaced and then will do so with a vegan equivalent. Others may feel okay selling these items knowing they will use the proceeds to buy an animal-free alternative.

Just like with most decisions when going vegan (or again, really any significant change), you just have to sit with yourself. Understand what you can tolerate and what is actually feasible for you and make an informed decision that allows you to keep moving forward in your vegan journey,

If you do decide to continue to use those animal based items I do recommend you be prepared to talk about it. Non-vegans who are particularly combative often are excited to "catch" a vegan doing something non-vegan. They will latch onto your designer purse everyone knows is made from leather or your wool coat or whatever it is. You don't have to tell them your whole vegan story or even try to justify it, just be prepared with a quick response. Which, by the way, can simply be "none of your business" but, if you're like me and you're always wondering where the next vegan seed could be planted you may want to go with a more open response like how you don't feel good about generating more trash so you'll replace it with a vegan item when it's worn out, or if you're saving up to replace it...you get it.

Clothing items can be some of the most wasteful things we produce and dispose of. Check out some previous blogs on the world of Fast Fashion here and here.

As you move through this Veganuary journey, what are your feelings about this? Have you already thought about how to handle these things? How can I support you? Tell me in the comments.

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Totally unrelated to today's blog but tonight is Meditation with Kimberly at 8:00pm ET! Both regular and intermittent attendees report feelings of calm, peace, and of letting go of something they had struggled with. Some attendees even monitor their heart rate during meditation and see significant improvement as they are able to find their way back to a steady regular heartbeat through their breath. Whether or not you have a smart watch to tell you what's going on inside your body, this hour is a good one. Single sessions are $15, packages reflecting a discounted rate are also available. Sign up here.