AR-News: (UK) Humane Household Products Standard

[AR-News]

> 	Take the cruelty out of cleaning with new ethical 'no animal
> testing' Standard backed by Sir Paul McCartney
> 
> 	Cleaning your house with a clean conscience has just got easier with
> the launch of a new cruelty-free scheme by leading animal rights
> campaigners the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV). The
> Humane Household Products Standard (HHPS) is the only scheme of its kind
> designed to help ethical consumers identify genuinely cruelty-free
> products and follows the success of the BUAV's similar scheme for
> cruelty-free beauty products, the Humane Cosmetics Standard (HCS) launched
> in 1998. 
> 
> 	Three companies have so far been given the BUAV's seal of approval -
> Clear Spring by Faith Products; The Laundry products; Co-op supermarket's
> own-brand products. The Standard's "leaping bunny" logo will start
> appearing on products, making it easy for consumers to go cruelty-free. 
> 
> 	Wendy Higgins, the BUAV's Campaigns Director, says:
> 	"Ethical consumers are bombarded with often misleading animal
> testing statements from companies, and so they rely on the BUAV to make
> sense of it all. That's why we launched the new scheme and it's proving
> popular already."
> 
> 	The Standard is also being used to raise awareness about the cruelty
> involved in animal testing by the household products industry, and the
> BUAV is calling on the Government to introduce a ban immediately. Over 100
> MPs already have signed an Early Day Motion calling for a total UK ban on
> household product testing on animals (EDM: 738) showing there is political
> support for the Government to take swift action.
> 
> 	The BUAV's Wendy Higgins, says: 
> 	"We have seen a massive increase in animal testing for household
> products in the UK and the public are becoming increasingly angry that
> products like carpet shampoo or toilet cleaner continue to be tested on
> animals in this country, when testing for products like beauty shampoo or
> make-up was banned some years ago. The Government appears to have a policy
> of hypocrisy and it's time that animals stopped dying so that we can have
> yet more trivial cleaning products." 
> 
> 	The BUAV's 'Dirty Secrets' campaign to end all household products
> testing on animals, is backed by Sir Paul McCartney who says "I've cleaned
> my house of animal tested products - won't you do the same? Together let's
> tell the white-coated men we want clean products and a clean conscience!"
> Sir Paul's quote is a reference to an anti-vivisection song called "The
> white-coated man" from his late wife Linda's album, 'Wide Prairie'. 
> 
> 	To be BUAV approved household product manufacturers must be able to
> prove that they:
> 1.	Do not conduct or commission animal tests
> 2.	Do not buy animal tested ingredients by imposing a verifiable
> fixed-cut off date (FCOD)
> 3.	Operate a mechanism to ensure that their FCOD is observed throughout
> their entire supply-chain
> 4.	Submit to an independent audit to guarantee that they 'practice what
> they preach' 
> 
> 1.	The BUAV's pocket guide The Little Book of Cruelty Free will be
> updated for  National Cruelty-Free Week (5-11 July) and will list all BUAV
> approved beauty and household products.
> 	2.	Faith Products Ltd: (Brand: Clear Spring) range includes
> products for the dishwasher, washing up liquids, window cleaner, liquid
> detergent and polishes. Available in health stores and mail order.
> Telephone: 0161 764 2555 or via www.faithinnature.co.uk; The Laundry is
> producing a range of washing up and laundry liquids, email
> linens at thelaundry.co.uk or call 020 7274 3838; The Co-op: (Own-label
> household products range); the Co-op's own-label household products range
> includes washing up liquid, washing powder, and polishes & cleaners. The
> Co-op has 1,600+ outlets across the UK. For details contact: 0800 0686727
> or visit www.co-op.co.uk
> 
> 	 
> 	Please visit www.buav.org or call 020 7700 4888 for further
> information about the work of the BUAV or to support our campaigns.
> 
>