Three Companies That Make a Difference
Some big companies do care about how animals are treated and have encouraged others to take an animal-friendly stance. These are just three that Teen Voices thinks deserve props for their positive animal policies.
The Body Shop Respects Animals
The Body Shop, founded by Anita Roddick in 1976, was the first international cosmetics retailer to be supported by animal rights protectionist groups, thanks to its commitment to being an animal-friendly corporation. This means that the Body Shop does not test its products on animals or buy ingredients that have been tested on animals by any of their suppliers.
The Body Shop helps the fight against animal cruelty by supporting research to find alternative methods to animal testing that will still ensure beauty product safety for humans but will respect animals' rights to live at the same time.
Jane Cosmetics Refuses Animal Testing
When Jane Cosmetics was formed in 1994, they wanted their company to represent young and college-aged women who were smart and independent, who could speak their mind and deal with anything. Jane's philosophy is to learn to see the positive, and their products are full of all-natural botanical* ingredients like juniper, aloe, nettle, and elderflower.
In addition, any new ingredient or product developed by Jane follows a strict no-animal-testing policy, and they encourage their customers to get involved in animal activism.
*Botanical: Made from part of a plant.
Trader Joe's: Keeping Animals Safe
Trader Joe's prides itself on being a friendly grocery store that has sold delicious food- including organic and other all-natural products- at great prices, since it opened in 1958. But did you know that it also cares about protecting animals? In 2005, Trader Joe's made an important change in their egg selection: they made sure that any egg sold under the Trader Joe's label came from a cage-free hen. That means that instead of living packed together in tiny cages, the hens live in open areas where they can walk around.
And, when it was reported that fishermen off Canada's east coast were killing baby seals in the off-season from fishing, Trader Joe's made sure that any of their seafood products that come from Canada come from suppliers on the west coast, and are not involved in any seal hunting.
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There ARE Other Ways: Alternatives to Animal Testing
Many companies continue to use invasive tests that damage and kill innocent animals even though alternative testing is available. Companies are not required by law to test on animals, yet they continue to do so. Alternatives, which are less expensive and more reliable, can and should be used. A few alternatives include:
• The use of cell structures in a Petri dish* instead of whole animals: this way an animal's livelihood isn't disturbed but researchers can still get results about the safety of new products.
• The use of sophisticated computer and mathematical models to predict an animal's reaction: this way, animals are not even used but product safety is ensured for humans.
• The use of ingredients that have already been proven safe in new beauty products: this way there are no tests on animals needed but new products are safe for humans.
*Petri dish: a shallow, circular, glass or plastic dish used for growing bacteria and other microorganisms.
Sources:
thebodyshop
international
.com,
animal-rights
.com,
furisdead.com,
leaping
bunny.org,
hsus.org,
idausa.org,
caring
consumer
.com.
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