boycott Procter & Gamble

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Part 3: How do I know what to buy?

1. What about other companies that test on animals?
2. My favourite company say they do not test on animals, but they are not on your recommended list, why not?
3. What is a ‘fixed cut-off date’?
4. What is a ‘five year rolling rule’?
5. Why is Uncaged’s list of recommended companies different to other groups’ lists?
6. I want to go cruelty-free but it’s difficult to find the kind of products I like

See also:

• Why boycott P&G
• What P&G say about testing on animals

 

1. What about other companies that test on animals?

Now you’ve found out about P&G animal testing, it’s really important to find out about other cruel companies and boycott them as well. Click here for a list of the biggest offenders. The best thing to do is obtain a copy of the Naturewatch Compassionate Shopping Guide, which is an 80 page guide to cruelty-free companies, shops and supermarkets who do not use animal tested ingredients after a fixed-cut-off-date.

To send for your copy, please make a donation of a minimum of £5.

Topˆ

2. My favourite company say they do not test on animals, but they are not on your recommended list, why not?

Many companies can be deliberately misleading in their animal testing statements, cleverly wording customer letters in order to reassure a concerned public. Often they talk about the products when most of this type of animal testing is for chemical ingredients. Even a ‘cruelty-free’ label on a seemingly environmentally-friendly or animal-free product is no automatic guarantee that the ingredients have not been recently tested on animals by the company or whoever they buy their ingredients from. Sometimes this is wilful misinformation, other times its just ignorance about what being ‘not animal tested’ actually means. In order to be credibly cruelty-free, companies must ensure that they and their ingredient suppliers comply with a Fixed Cut Off Date from which point they do not test on animals. For more on this see How to Spot an Animal Testing Company.

Topˆ

3. What is a fixed cut-off date?

This means that a product manufacturer will not buy finished products or ingredients (from suppliers) that have been animal tested after a fixed date eg: 1987. This rule draws a clear line under animal testing, and is the only method by which manufacturers can send a clear message to their suppliers and the rest of the industry that the company is not prepared to profit from laboratory animal suffering. If a company does not use a fixed cut-off date for the ingredients it buys (even if it claims not to test on animals itself), it still profits from animal suffering because it is continuing to buy ingredients that have been animal tested and it helps to perpetuate the market for animal tested ingredients.

Topˆ

4. What is a five year rolling rule?

This means that the manufacturer only excludes ingredients that have been animal-tested within the last five years. This is not a fixed date, so an animal tested ingredient may be excluded one year (because it falls within the ‘last five years’ bracket), but included the following year (when it falls outside this bracket). By using this method, the manufacturer is making no clear commitment to reject animal testing and is still profiting from and perpetuating animal testing. The only difference here is that the company delays buying that ingredient for five years. This would make little difference to most suppliers and the industry as a whole, as they know that companies like this may not buy the ingredients today but they will buy the ingredients eventually. Uncaged does not endorse five year rolling rules.

Topˆ

5. Why is Uncaged’s list of recommended companies different to other groups’ lists?

Here at Uncaged we’ve always been guided by Naturewatch’s Compassionate Shopper - the first fully comprehensive list to promote companies with a Fixed Cut Off Date (FCOD) policy. The FCOD policy covers not only the company itself, but also how ingredients they purchase from suppliers are tested, as well as the practices of the parent company.

Some groups use a less stringent criterion – they recommend companies who themselves do not test on animals or commission any animal testing. But, many of the companies they recommend do not adhere to a FCOD policy. This is because such companies’ policies allow them to purchase ingredients that are tested on animals by their suppliers. So they present themselves as a non-animal testing company, when the truth is that they are actually paying for and perpetuating animal testing. Given that most animal testing in this area is for chemical ingredients rather than finished products, this is a significant issue.

The issue of parent company practices is also very important if you want to avoid funding animal testing. If you buy from, for example, The Body Shop, profits from your purchases will end up paying for the practices of the parent company – in this case L’Oreal – who still test on animals.

Topˆ

6. I want to go cruelty-free but it’s difficult to find the kind of products I like

Changing habits is always going to be a little bit tricky at first. P&G’s colossal advertising budget can make you think that there aren’t any other products out there! But, in fact, taking responsibility for your consumption is one of the most empowering and liberating things for a human being to do. The most significant thing we can do with our lives is to try to make the world a better place. We can all do that by exercising our choice in a conscientious and positive way - by boycotting P&G.

There are lots of excellent ethical products out there. Click here for an starter list of sound companies. If you visit www.boycottpandg.co.uk, we provide information and links to online cruelty-free retailers. Just ten minutes on the internet means you can get everything you need delivered to your door!

The best thing to do is obtain a copy of the Naturewatch Compassionate Shopping Guide, which is an 80 page guide to cruelty-free companies, shops and supermarkets who do not use animal tested ingredients after a fixed-cut-off-date. To send for your copy, please make a donation of a minimum of £5.