The
BUAV (British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection) are running
their 4th annual National Cruelty-Free Week on 17th - 23rd July.
The
campaign aims to provide the public with information about animal
testing. Through education they hope to encourage people not to
use products that have been tested on animals and show them how
they can make positive cruelty-free choices instead.
Cosmetic testing, including testing on products such as make-up,
perfumes, creams, toothpaste, shampoos and deodorants, has been
banned in the UK since 1998. But that doesn’t mean that
UK consumers can be sure that they are buying cruelty-free products
from the stores. Cosmetic animal tests may no longer be carried
out in the UK, but there are still cosmetics on sale which have
been imported and UK companies can still commission animal tests
abroad.
Also, the EU has imposed a ban on the animal testing of finished
cosmetic products with the animal testing of the ingredients being
phased out between 2009 and 2013. This means that animal testing
of cosmetics will continue in Europe for several years to come.
Apart from cosmetics, National Cruelty-Free Week is also about
being aware of other household products not currently covered
by the bans. There are still many household products available
that legally use animals as part of their testing procedure.
An international Humane Cosmetics Standard is operated by the
European Coalition to End Animal Experiments which is made up
of 17 organisations and the CCIC which is made up of around 7
or 8 organisations. Over 200 companies are already approved under
the Humane Cosmetics Standard and the Humane Household Products
Standard. Only companies that meet the standard can use an agreed
cruelty-free symbol on their products.
The
BUAV say “The best way to 'go cruelty-free', is to buy
from companies who are approved under the Humane Cosmetics Standard
and the Humane Household Products Standard, the only internationally
recognised schemes that enable consumers to easily identify and
purchase beauty and household products that have not been tested
on animals.”
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Consumers
are asked to look out for the BUAV rabbit and stars logo to
ensure that neither the products they use, nor their ingredients
have been tested on animals. Instead, consumers should support
companies that are genuinely cruelty-free. |
| The
basic criteria companies have to meet in order to become approved
are that they must: |
| - |
No
longer conduct or commission animal tests |
| - |
Not
purchase from suppliers ingredients that have been animal
tested after a fixed cut-off date |
| - |
Verify
the strict implementation of their fixed cut-off date with
supplier assurances |
| - |
Submit
to an independent audit |
Little
Book of Cruelty-Free
The BUAV have produced a consumer guide called the Little Book
of Cruelty-Free, which lists cruelty-free companies and products.
By using this wallet-sized guide you can check on your purchases
and make sure that you vote for kindness to animals by purchasing
products that haven’t been tested on animals.
|
You
can order the Little Book of Cruelty-Free at the BUAV website
on their campaign
page or you can view the online version here. |
The BUAV also have a petition for a ban on testing household products
on animals. For more information see the BUAV campaign
page.
For more ideas about how to support National Cruelty-Free Week,
visit the BUAV's National
Cruelty-Free Week webpage.
Sites
of interest
BUAV
www.buav.org
National Cruelty-Free Week www.buav.org/gocrueltyfree/week.html
BUAV campaign page www.buav.org/resources/campaign.html
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