Are Insects Killed to Make Silk?

Traditional mulberry silk production does involve killing silkworms, but there are also ethical alternatives available. To understand the process, you need to know how silk is made.

Silk is produced by silkworms (the larvae of the domesticated silkmoth) when they spin their cocoons. To harvest the silk thread, the cocoons are boiled to kill the pupa inside. This prevents the moth from breaking through the cocoon, which would damage the long, continuous silk thread.

This traditional process means that the silkworms are killed before they can emerge as moths. For many buyers, this is a concern, leading to the rise of “peace silk” or eri silk, which is made from cocoons that the moths have already emerged from. While eri silk is more ethical, it’s lower quality than mulberry silk, with shorter, coarser fibers.

Some silk factories are working on more ethical production methods, but they’re not yet widely available. For most mulberry silk products, the traditional process is still used.

If you’re concerned about the ethics of silk production, look for peace silk or recycled silk options. However, keep in mind that these alternatives don’t offer the same quality and durability as pure mulberry silk.

TAG: