Cashmere demand is threatening Mongolia’s steppe. Can the industry go sustainable? | CNN

By spring on central Mongolia’s vast grasslands, the bitter winter snows have largely melted, but strong winds and sandstorms can make this one of the harshest times of the year. For herder Bayarduuren Zunduikhuu, it is also one of the busiest. “We wake up as the sun rises,” she says. “Spring is all about the cashmere harvest.

Yak wool: The new cashmere? A growing number of labels are looking for ethical alternatives to traditional cashmere. Stella McCartney, for instance, has used only recycled cashmere since 2016. This helps combat waste, with an environmental impact seven times lower than virgin cashmere, the brand says. Japanese startup Spiber has, meanwhile, developed a spiderweb-inspired synthetic cashmere alternative by fermenting plant-based ingredients into a protein polymer.

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