EcoZeal

In part one of this story I told you how the poor silkworm that has spun its beautiful cocoon of raw silk is boiled alive and never allowed to reach maturity so that the silk farmers can save the silk. Fortunately, there is a more eco-friendly way that silk is made and that you can enjoy wearing silk.

‘Peace silk’ or ‘vegetarian silk’ is silk that is derived in an all-natural process by which the silkworm is allowed to fully mature. There are some silk farmers that will allow the silkworm to become a Bombyx mori moth and will then simply salvage the remains of the silk cocoon. Because the one continuous string of silk that has been woven by the silkworm is broken when the moth emerges, the cocoon is degummed to remove the liquid released before the moth emerges and then the left over silk is spun in much the same way as organic cotton or hemp.

This has its advantages and disadvantages. Because it is spun, the green minded silk is not as strong as regular silk and is slightly discolored, but because it is spun as a fiber instead or released like a thread it is softer and warmer. It also comes with the knowledge that what you are wearing is all-natural.

EcoZeal.com urges all that are looking for silk to consider the more humane peace silk or vegetarian silk. Let the silkworm’s plight end with you.