In the conversation with Natalie Harney, campaign manager for the charity's campaign, I talked about the newly formed International Vegan Interior Design Association (IVIDA) . Our discussions within the IVIDA group have shown how the lack of clarity around animal testing is an worldwide issue, that is surrounded with much confusion and is very open to interpretation thanks partly to the lack of definitions of 'cruelty free' and 'vegan' in our laws.
What's the difference between vegan + cruelty free?
Collins dictionary definitions:
Vegan means ‘produced without exploiting animals in any way’.
Cruelty Free is sometimes used as a softer and less diet-related term, but Cruelty Free really only means ‘developed without being tested on animals’, which obviously is a good thing, but is not the same as a product or material that is guaranteed not to include ingredients derived from animals.
You may be surprised to learn there is no definition in UK law for vegan or cruelty free....
Companies can self-state a product is vegan simple because it has no obvious animal products in it.
Companies can still say a product is 'vegan' even if it's been tested on animals because of that lack of a legal definition.
Through my research I have found companies are self-stating a product is vegan simply because it has no obvious animal products in it or the end product is not tested by them. One manufacturer also claimed they cannot give details on the status of testing of ingredients as the information isn't available from their suppliers. Regardless of this lack of transparency, they still clearly market their paint as vegan. Many of us thought the ban had eliminated all this confusion but I'm afraid it's still very present.
Is there a legal definition where you are?
In the discussion, I question if animal testing is outmoded and Natalie clarifies the status in the UK. We also talked about my concern for impacts on health and ecological pollution due to the toxicity of chemicals used in interiors - which mean this testing is required to happen. Natalie goes through the multitude of alternatives to animal testing that exist and could be used instead of animals.
In some sectors of animal testing such as in the drug industry, scientists are questionning the efficacity of tests meaning other methods happen anyway. This is partly put down to the vast physiological differences between humans and animals. "The data show that animal studies fail to predict real human outcomes in 50 to 99.7 percent of cases" Humane Society International UK.
I'll add the You Tube link to the conversation once it's launched.
Trusted labels + guides
- Naturewatch Compassionate Shopping Guide
- The Vegan Society's Vegan Trademark
- PETA approved label
- Ethical Consumer Magazine guides
- PETA's Homeware Awards
Note:
- Declare label - NB having this label doesn’t mean its good - it means it’s transparent
- B Corp - the Impact Assessment does contain questions on animals but those questions don’t carry a score currently (their whole assessment is being updated) - so don't rely on a B Corp certification in its current form to clarfy on ethics of animal testing
Things you can do
1️⃣ Sign petition - the UK ‘banned’ testing household products on animals. But the ban is full of loopholes. www.action.naturewatch.org/makeover-the-ban
2️⃣ Use their letter template to contact your suppliers to help with their research for their ‘Paint with Kindness, Not Cruelty’ campaign. If you are outside of the UK use this to apply pressure in your country www.compassionateshoppingguide.org/decorating-brands-template/
3️⃣ Use their Compassionate Shopping Guide once updated with this household products research www.compassionateshoppingguide.org/
If you are a paint company - get yourselves in this guide - it completely free!
4️⃣ Donate to the Naturewatch foundation, please support this UK animal welfare charity https://naturewatch.org/get-involved/donate/#donateform or even leave a legacy https://naturewatch.org/get-involved/other-ways-to-help/leave-a-legacy/
