Millions Ask U.S. Japan and Canada to Finally Ban Cosmetic Animal Testing

If you’ve ever signed a petition on Change.org, or at an event or signature drive, you may have wondered how much of an impact you just made. It seems like such a simple act, and it is, but multiplied across many people, it can become a huge statement. This kind of monumental request from the people is what Cruelty Free International (CFI) and The Body Shop have orchestrated worldwide.

Body Shop customers in stores across 65 countries, including Japan, the U.S, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Korea, and Russia were asked to sign a pledge calling for a ban on animal testing for cosmetics. Despite the progress made in the European Union, India, Israel, and China in regards to animal testing, according to CFI, over 80 percent of the world still allows animal testing for cosmetics.

To help change this, representatives from CFI and The Body Shop are now in the process of approaching countries across the world with the one million worldwide signatures collected.

So far, they have visited the United States, and delivered the petition to Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) as she is the leading legislator working on cosmetics regulation reform in the United States, says CFI. In Japan, the two groups were joined by the Japan Anti-Vivisection Association as they presented the petition to Japanese Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, Norihisa Tamura. In Canada, they urged the leader of the Green Party, Elizabeth May MP, to take charge on raising the issue to the Canadian government.

This is a great effort aimed at making animal testing for cosmetics obsolete on a worldwide scale. The tides are starting to turn on this issue, and it’s amazing to watch organizations like these come together to spur positive change.

Looking to go cruelty-free with your cosmetics? Check out our guide, “How to Read a Cruelty Free Cosmetics Label and our list of amazing veg makeup brands.