LUSH continues in the fight against animal testing for cosmetics
Leading ethical retailer, LUSH Cosmetics has this week partnered with animal rights groups; Humane Society International, Be Cruelty Free and Humane Research Australia, to stage a national campaign (May 12 – 18 2014) calling on the Australian government to follow in the steps of the European Union and ban cosmetics testing on animals.
Throughout LUSH’s 25 stores across Australia, staff will be handing out educational material to customers this week about a parliamentary bill that is currently up for debate in the Australian Senate called the ‘End of Cruel Cosmetics’ bill. If passed, this bill will mark the end of animal testing for cosmetics in Australia. LUSH is encouraging customers to sign a petition in support of this bill online at: http://bit.ly/HSIbecrueltyfree. On Saturday 17 May at midday, a minute’s silence will also be held in LUSH stores nationally to honour all of the animals who have suffered due to cosmetics testing.
According to Hannah Stuart from Humane Research Australia, “Testing cosmetics like mascara and shampoo on living creatures is a completely unnecessary cruelty and it’s time Australia joined a growing number of countries by banning it. Without a legal ban in Australia, there is nothing to prevent cosmetics animal testing now or in the future, and cosmetics tested on animals overseas are still sold in shops throughout the country.”
Since its inception over 30 years ago, LUSH Cosmetics has been committed to end animal testing in the cosmetics industry. To LUSH, ‘fighting animal testing’ is more than just a slogan or marketing initiative; it is a genuine practice. LUSH does not and will not test any of its products or ingredients on animals, nor buy ingredients from suppliers who engage in any animal testing.
Despite many practical alternatives, laboratory testing of product and various toxic substances on animals is still commonplace in the cosmetics industry. Throughout the European Union, however, animal testing of cosmetics is already banned and a sales ban was implemented in March 2013. Outside the EU animal testing for cosmetics continues and is even a legal requirement in some countries. This inspired LUSH co-founder Mark Constantine to recently develop The Lush Prize (www.lushprize.org), a fund of £250,000 to reward outstanding contributions toward ending the use of animals in product safety testing.
