Calling to ban animal testing worldwide, The Body Shop has been partnering the Forever Against Animal Testing, the global effort to collect eight million signatories.
“We want to ban animal testing for cosmetics purposes forever, everywhere in the world. We are proud to launch the Forever Against Animal Testing campaign in Sri Lanka. Although, there is no requirement in Sri Lankan law for cosmetic animal testing, there is also no legal ban to forbid the practice. We strongly request our customers to pledge their support for this campaign and come to our store to sign the petition,” The Body Shop Sri Lanka Director, Trevor Rajaratnam said.
“With your help, a global ban on animal testing in cosmetics can be a reality,” he said.
We were the first global beauty brand to fight against animal testing. Over the last three decades we have worked with our campaign partners Cruelty Free International and our collective efforts led to a European Union ban in 2013. But that is not enough. Animals continue to be used in testing and we want to end this practice everywhere and forever. We want to simplify it with one international convention, he said.
Animal testing remains a problem around the world and 80 percent of countries still have no laws against testing in cosmetics. Animal testing is old fashioned, expensive and inefficient. Despite the fact that reliable alternatives are available animals continue to suffer.
Alternatives to animal testing are quicker, cheaper and more accurate. Studies show that some animal tests predict human reactions only 40 to 60 percent of the time, whereas alternatives are accurate at least 80 percent of the time. The alternatives are computer based analysis, laboratory produced skin and patch testing on humans.
It is estimated that 500,000 animals are used worldwide in cosmetic testing each year. It is also said that just one ingredient in a product can involve up to 1,400 animals. – SJ