London, UK, Oct 2013 – Leading brands including Astonish, Method and Ecover have joined with the international campaigning organization, Cruelty Free International, to request the UK government make good on its pledge to introduce a ban for testing household products and their ingredients on animals.
After three years of consideration and promises the Government has still not made a final announcement regarding the ban and now looks set on doing a U-turn having indicated that only finished products will be covered by the ban and not the ingredients.
Cruelty Free International has launched its new campaign initiative,Clean Up Cruelty, which has received cross-party support from many MPs, including Caroline Lucas, Henry Smith, Adrian Sanders and Kerry McCarthy The campaign also has the support of leading brands whose household products are certified as not tested on animals under the Cruelty Free International Leaping Bunny program.
Cruelty Free International Chief Executive, Michelle Thew, said:“We are delighted to receive widespread political and company support for our campaign. Household names such as Astonish, Method and Ecover have shown that it is possible to sell safe and effective household products without inflicting pain and suffering on animals. The UK led the way in implementing a ban on animal testing for cosmetics. It is now time to do the same with household products and their ingredients. We urge the Government to implement this ban as soon as possible and take the cruelty out of cleaning.”
Astonish said, “Astonish is more than happy to lend our support for the Cruelty Free International Clean Up Cruelty campaign. With an EU ban in place for cosmetic testing on animals it is certainly the time for a ban on household product tests. We wish Cruelty Free International success in achieving this goal”
Ecover said, “Ecover is proud that all our household products meet the Cruelty Free International Leaping Bunny standard and are free from animal testing. We support the Cruelty Free International campaign for a UK ban on all household product tests on animals; including both ingredients and the final products.”
Method stated: "Here at Method we are proud to carry the Leaping Bunny logo on all our household products. We will be strongly supporting the Cruelty Free International campaign for a UK ban on all household product tests on animals; including both ingredients and the final products, full stop.”
Bio-D stated: “Bio-D supports the Cruelty Free International Clean Up Cruelty campaign for a ban on household product and ingredient tests on animals. In 2013, with so many humane alternatives available, now is the time to Clean Up Cruelty and we are pleased to sign our name to the petition and encourage others to do the same.”
Kerry McCarthy, Labour MP for Bristol East, said: "After three years of delay, excuses and broken promises it is time for the Government to do what it should have already done and end the use of animals to test household products"
Caroline Lucas, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, said: "I'm proud that my constituency office is cleaned only with cruelty free products. It's time we ended testing these products and their ingredients on animals"
Henry Smith, Conservative MP for Crawley said: “The UK led the way in banning the use of animals to test cosmetics ingredients and finished products, now I'm supporting Cruelty Free International in the campaign to end the use of animals to test household products"
Adrian Sanders, Lib Dem MP for Torbay, said: "With retailers having proved for many years that it is possible to manufacture household products without subjecting animals to cruel tests, its time the practice was ended in the UK once and for all"
-Cruelty Free International is the only organization solely campaigning for a global ban on animal testing for consumer products. With offices in the UK, the USA and Singapore, it works with governments, regulators, companies and partner organizations worldwide and has placed the issue of animal testing on the agenda of many governments for the very first time as part of its global work to end product tests on animals. For further information: www.crueltyfreeinternational.org
- Cruelty Free International has led the campaign to end the use of animals to test household products. OurClean Up Crueltycampaign has gained widespread support around the UK from politicians, councils, retailers and the public who have pledged to only use cleaning products approved by Cruelty Free International Humane Standard, symbolized by the Leaping Bunny logo, as free from animal testing.
-Animal tests for cleaning products are not specifically required by law; to market a product a company must demonstrate its safety, but this can be done by using approved non-animal tests and combinations of existing ingredients that have already been established as safe for human use.
-In 2011, then Home Office Minister Lynne Featherstone MP promised the ban would include the ingredients that go into making up the product as well as the finished cleaning product itself. She said,“The prohibition will apply to both finished household products and their ingredients, although in practice mainly the latter are tested.
- The Leaping Bunny symbolizes the only international no-animal-testing certification. It requires that companies prove what they claim. Certified companies are audited for compliance with their animal testing policy and the strict criteria of the Humane Standards. Other companies which currently sell household product accredited by the Leaping Bunny scheme include Marks and Spencer and Greenscents. For further information: www.gocrueltyfree.org
