Cruelty Free International teams up with The Body Shop on US animal testing ban

By Simon Pitman

- Last updated on GMT

Cruelty Free International teams up with The Body Shop on US animal testing ban
Cruelty Free International is now targeting the US cosmetics market in its aims to stamp out animal testing for cosmetics worldwide.

For this campaign the organization has teamed up with L’Oreal-owned The Body Shop, by serving up a petition containing over one million signatures from customers and supporters worldwide to Congresswoman Jan Schaskowsky, who has proved a leading legislator in US cosmetics regulation.

We are in Washington DC this week to appeal to the United States Government to listen to the collective voice of one million people and start putting plans in place to end these experiments and prevent further unnecessary suffering for thousands of animals,” said ​Cruelty Free International Chief Executive, Michelle Thew.

“The European Union ban on animal tested cosmetics was widely celebrated in March 2013 and now it is time for the rest of the world to take action and end all animal tests for cosmetic products and their ingredients.”

 Peitition signatures come from 65 countries worldwide

The petition signatures were gathered from The Body Shop stores in 65 countries worldwide, which include some of the world’s biggest cosmetic markets by value.

According to the organization, the petition has proved to be the largest of its kind to seek a global ban on the use of animals to test cosmetics.

The organization has been ramping up its campaign to target other markets worldwide in recent years, which most recently has culminated in total bans in the European Union, India and Israel, together with reviews on legislation in China.

Campaign's focus now switches to the US

According to the organization the focus is now switching to the US market because it is one of a number of markets worldwide that still allows animals tests on cosmetic products.

The Body Shop has lent its name to the campaign on the grounds that it was one of the first cosmetics companies to campaign against the animal testing. Its campaign started in the UK , ensuring it was one of the world’s first markets to take action against such testing.

“Our experience shows that it is possible and safe to create cosmetics without animal testing and we encourage governments to support a worldwide ban on such unnecessary testing methods,"​ said Phyll Arrington, director brand & values for The Body Shop U.S. & Mexico. 

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