2018: The year to end the sale of animal-tested cosmetics in Canada
The Body Shop Canada announces that it is focusing its efforts on convincing the Government of Canada to ban the sale and manufacture of cosmetic products that have been tested on animals
TORONTO, Jan. 29, 2018 /CNW/ - The Body Shop Canada declared today that 2018 is the year to end the sale and manufacture of animal-tested cosmetic products in Canada. To achieve this goal, the company is dedicating the focus of its marketing efforts and its close to 1,000 staff and 128 stores to raise public support for this issue. With its campaign partner Cruelty Free International, the company is lobbying the Government of Canada to pass legislation that bans the sale and manufacture of all animal-tested cosmetics as well as engaging its customer base to act on this issue.
"The Body Shop, its staff and its customers, passionately believe that no animal should be harmed in the name of cosmetics," said Toby Milton, General Manager, The Body Shop Canada. "Animal testing on products and ingredients is outdated, cruel and unnecessary."
Despite almost 30 years of campaigning against animal testing, this issue is far from over. Cruelty Free International estimates that more than 500,000 animals are still used worldwide in cosmetics testing each year. Current animal tests include dermal toxicity tests where a substance is applied to the shaved skin of a rat, guinea pig or rabbit, and covered with a patch to keep them from licking or otherwise removing the substance. These animals are never given pain relief during these tests, and in the end they're almost always killed. The Body Shop wants to ensure that no products that have contributed to this cruel practice are available for sale in Canada.
Milton said, "There are many internationally recognized alternatives to animal testing. These are not only more effective but less expensive to conduct."
In 1989, The Body Shop became the first international beauty brand to campaign against the practice of animal testing in cosmetics. In partnership with Cruelty Free International, this action led the way to a European Union-wide ban on animal testing in 2013.
"Canada lags many countries in the world on this issue," said Milton. "Similar bans have already been introduced in the European Union, Norway, India, Turkey, Serbia, New Zealand and Israel. Canada risks falling behind many of its international peers if it does not act immediately. Furthermore, in countries where the ban has been enacted, the cosmetic industry has continued to thrive. The need for animal-testing is over."
Polling shows that over 80 per cent of Canadians would support a ban on cosmetic testing on animals. Over 375,000 of The Body Shop's customers in Canada have signed a petition to ban animal testing in Canada and worldwide.
The Body Shop was founded in 1976 by Anita Roddick where she began a movement that came to be known as ethical consumerism. This philosophy has shaped the company since its inception and includes commitments to generating positive economic, social and environmental impact through actions such as using traceable and sustainably sourced ingredients, innovating in packaging, promoting fair trade with suppliers and rejecting animal testing. In 2017, the Brazilian-based sustainable cosmetics company, Natura, purchased The Body Shop from its then parent company L'Oréal.
For more information, and to sign the petition to end the sale of animal-tested cosmetics, go to: www.ForeverAgainstAnimalTesting.com.
SOURCE The Body Shop Limited
Ted Griffith, Campbell Strategies, [email protected], 416 518 8306
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