H&M has been on a bit of a conscious company terror over the past few months. Just recently, the fashion retailer committed to helping animals and reducing waste. I know. We couldn’t believe it either.

Let’s talk about H&M’s animal welfare pledge first. According to Humane Society International, H&M and the Humane Society are working together to protect animals from suffering for human fashion whims. The joint venture is part of H&M’s sustainability commitments.

While H&M has previously supported animal welfare (its H&M-brand cosmetic products and its ingredients aren’t tested on animals), the company has now pledged to support the Humane Society International’s #BeCrueltyFree campaign.

The “#BeCrueltyFree USA campaign is leading efforts to achieve a nationwide ban on cosmetics cruelty,” the Humane Society reports. This past June, the organization began working with legislators to launch the Humane Cosmetics Act in Congress.

“Passage of the HCA would bring the US in line with more than 30 other countries that have already implemented similar bans on cosmetics animal testing and the sale of animal tested cosmetics,” says the organization.

The H&M collaboration also includes the “commitment to pursue policy change in countries around the world, such as national legislative bans on animal testing of cosmetics, as well as the cruel practices within wool and down production.” That’s a pretty big commitment. If this collaboration is successful, a lot of animals will be helped.

H&M plans to promote the campaign by communicating with key stakeholders on the issue, conducting consumer advocacy, and by supporting training and education programs.

And earlier this summer, H&M announced the launch of its “H&M $1 million closed loop challenge.” The challenge was created to “engage innovators, technologists, scientists and entrepreneurs to find a solution to a growing problem in the clothing industry: waste and pollution,” The Guardian reports.

This challenge is pretty cool, but like The Guardian states, some people are wondering if this “challenge” is really a “side step,” considering the company has yet to address “overproduction and worker rights by emphasizing materials innovation and technology – especially when recycling the mixed fibers so common in fast fashion is proving tricky.”

Fast fashion will most likely prove difficult for the brand to conquer, considering that’s kind of what it’s known for. But still, we’ve got to commend the brand for having a pretty great summer. Let’s hope it does even more this fall.

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At one point in the not-so-distant future, it’s bound to happen that all cosmetic companies see the light and support the Humane Cosmetics Act. Because, let’s face it, rabbits don’t ever need to wear lipstick (Jessica Rabbit aside).

The Humane Cosmetics Act is moving us closer to a cruelty-free America. Introduced by Representative Jim Moran (D-VA), the bill would ban all animal testing in the U.S. for cosmetic products. Similar acts exist throughout the EU, Norway, India and Israel.

More than 130 companies have signed on in support of the bill, with five more companies just adding their support–Sappo Hill Soapworks, It’s a 10 Hair care, Whip Hand Cosmetics, Darla Makeup, Malin+Goetz–bringing the total now to 138 companies who want to end animal testing.

“Safe, innovative cosmetic products can be created without harming animals. The Humane Society of the United States is delighted to see 138 cosmetics industry members have now endorsed this bill,”said Leah Gomez, project manager at The Humane Society of the United States. “Through our Be Cruelty-Free USA campaign, we continue to urge members and stakeholders of the cosmetics industry to support this legislation that would bring the U.S. in line with a growing worldwide momentum away from animal testing for cosmetics.”

California recently passed Senate Joint Resolution 22 (the Cruelty Free Cosmetics Resolution), which is putting the pressure on Congress to come up with a reasonable deadline on prohibiting animal testing.

Here’s the current list of companies supporting the Humane Cosmetics Act. We hope the list gets a lot longer very soon:

1. 100% Pure
2. 3 P Organics
3. 4 Elements Bath Products
4. ACURE
5. Afterglow Cosmetics
6. Alaska Glacial Mud Co.
7. Alder New York
8. Andalou Naturals
9. Aroma Naturals
10. Aspen Clean
11. Athar’a
12. Aubrey Organics
13. Auromère
14. B True Beauty
15. BALM Baby
16. Batty’s Bath
17. Beauty Without Cruelty
18. Bebeani, Inc. for Skinflow
19. Bee Naturals
20. Bella Mari
21. BelláPierre
22. belle & bianca, Inc.
23. Bello Moi, Inc.
24. Belly Buttons & Babies
25. Better Botanicals
26. Biao Skincare
27. Black Sheep Lacquer
28. Blissoma Holistic Skincare & Apothecary
29. BodyHonee
30. Booda Organics
31. Botanicals for Hope
32. Bum Boosa Bamboo Products
33. By Valenti Organics
34. California North
35. Chantecaille
36. CherlynTM Skincare
37. Clean George
38. Coastal Classic Creations
39. Concrete Minerals
40. Crazy Rumors
41. 
Dancing Dingo
42. Darla Makeup
43. Davids
44. demes
45. DeVita Natural Skin Care Systems
46. Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps
47. Dr. Desai Soap
48. Earth Pure Organics
49. Earthly Body
50. Elixery
51. Emerald Essentials
52. Everyday Minerals
53. Exfoliating Minerals
54. FACE atelier
55. FACEFACTS
56. FAR Botanicals
57. FíOR Mineral Cosmetics
58. Galiano Island Soap Works
59. Gloss & Toss
60. Golden Path Alchemy LLC
61. Gourmet Body Treats
62. Herbal Choice Mari
63. Hot Tot Haircare
64. Indie Lee & Co.
65. Infinite Aloe
66. Integrity Botanicals
67. Intelligent Nutrients
68. Isis Essentials
69. It’s a 10 Haircare
70. Jack Black
71. Juice Beauty
72. Just the Goods
73. Kahina Giving Beauty
74. Kaunis
75. Keeki Pure and Simple
76. Kelly-Nehemiah Cosmetics
77. Kokokahn
78. L’uvalla Certified Organic
79. Lakon Herbals
80. Lotus Garden Botanicals
81. LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics
82. MALIN+GOETZ
83. Max Green Alchemy
84. Mi-Me Handmade Bath & Body Products
85. Mind Your Beeswax (Beecause Organics)
86. MIYU Beauty Corp.
87. Modern Minerals
88. Moroccanoil
89. Naturopathica Holistic Health
90. NuCèlle Inc.
91. Nurture My Body
92. O&N Collective
93. OSEA
94. Overstock. Com
95. Parissa
96. Patrick Smith Natural Health
97. Paul Mitchell
98. Pittstown Soapworks
99. Polish Cosmetics
100. Pristine Beauty
101. Priti NYC
102. Purple Prairie Botanicals
103. ReNew Botanicals
104. Rosemira Organics
105. Saavy Naturals
106. Salon Naturals
107. Sappo Hill Soapworks
108. Schmidt’s Deodorant
109. SeabuckWonders
110. Seventh Generation
111. Slice
Soap Cauldron
112. Soapwalla Kitchen
113. SoapyLayne
114. Solay Wellness
115. Sound Earth
116. Spa Organica
117. Spirit Free
118. Stark Skincare
119. SULA NYC
120. Suntegrity Skincare
121. Swipes Inc.
122. Tallulah Jane
123. Tata Harper
124. The Body Shop
125. The Vintage Soap Factory
126. Taylor House
127. Truth
128. Tsi~La Organics
129. US Organic Group Corp.
130. Vargas Cosmetics (Tilth Beauty)
131. Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery
132. Veria Naturals
133. Vermont Soap
134. Warm Earth Cosmetics
135. Whip Hand Cosmetics
136. Waxelene
137. ZENMED
138. Zosimos Botanicals

The form at this link easily allows the public to contact their representatives to ask them to co-sponsor the Humane Cosmetics Act: www.humanesociety.org/humanecosmeticsact.

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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The Humane Cosmetics Act, a bill that would make it unlawful in the U.S. to conduct animal testing for cosmetic purposes is gaining momentum.

HR 4148, as the bill is  formally known, was introduced by by Congressman Jim Moran, (D-VA). It is endorsed by The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund as well as leading personal care brands including Aubrey Organics, LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, Jack Black and Biao skincare. And the bill now has backing by a Republican sponsor, too: Michael Grimm (R-NY).

If passed, the bill would “enhance worldwide momentum in ensuring animals are not harmed in the process of creating or manufacturing cosmetics,” the Humane Society said in a statement. Not only would it make it unlawful to test any cosmetics or ingredients on animals, but it would also prohibit the sale and distribution of cosmetics “if the final product or any component was developed or manufactured using animal testing.”

Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS, said in a statement: “Americans deserve to have access to safe and humane products, and there is no compelling need for animal testing for cosmetics. We thank Congressman Moran for his leadership on this legislation, which will align the U.S. with the global trend moving away from animal testing of cosmetics. We have powerful and reliable alternatives available and it’s time to embrace those new technologies and stop harming animals for unnecessary reasons.”

Ricky Gervais, on behalf of The Humane Society of the United States’ Be Cruelty-Free USA campaign, is also urging the United States to end cosmetics animal testing, “I’m delighted to help The HSUS’ Be Cruelty-Free USA campaign to end the cruel and outdated practice of testing cosmetics on living animals. Rabbits and rodents forced to endure toxic cosmetics testing in U.S. laboratories, have no-one to speak up for them but us. So I urge all Americans to be their voice, support the Humane Cosmetics Act and make the U.S. the next cruelty-free cosmetics zone,” he said in a statement.

The EU, Israel and India have bans on animal testing for cosmetic purposes, and São Paulo, Brazil, recently signed into a law a bill that will prohibit animal testing for cosmetics. The country is also close to voting on a nationwide ban on animal testing. China, known for animal testing, has also recently announced that it will remove any “mandatory” animal testing rules for domestically produced cosmetics.

While the number of beauty brands that create quality products without the use of animal testing is rising, there are still thousands of cosmetic ingredients that are tested on animals. “Animal toxicity tests, which have never been validated by a regulatory body, represent an outdated science of techniques that are not adequate to predict human safety,” according to the Humane Society. “The future of safety testing relies on advanced technologies, including computational and human cell or artificial tissue based models, which are already in use,” notes the Humane Society. “These methods are based on human biology and are more predictive of human reactions than animal tests.” In fact, it’s a pretty good guarantee that if a beauty product has undergone animal testing, it’s probably not the healthiest for your skin or body anyway. It’s certainly no good for the animals.

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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By now, we know not to purchase puppies from pet shops. The inhumane treatment of dogs in puppy mills makes the news regularly as our state governments attempt to legislate those breeding facilities. But mass breeding doesn’t stop with puppy mills. Other, equally inhumane breeding facilities exist across the country. One of the worst? Guinea pig mills.

Guinea pigs are cute little rodents that originated in South America. They have a longer lifespan than most small pets, living five to seven years. They’re social animals and love to be handled by their people. But because of their popularity – really, how can anyone resist that cute little nose? – industrial breeding mills mass produce the small furry friends. They make great family pets, but if you’re interested in adding a guinea pig to your home, locate adoptable guinea pigs rather than purchasing one from a pet shop.

Just like adding a dog or cat to your household, adopting a guinea pig requires some thoughtful planning. Here are 10 tips to help you rescue the perfect guinea pig for your family:

• Don’t shop; adopt!
• Determine if you have enough space to adequately house a guinea pig – if you have room for two of the social buggers, even better! For one guinea pig, 30″x36″ is a good idea; for two, aim for 30″x50″.
• Plan for the care and feeding of your guinea pigs. In addition to a roomy cage, they require a mix of pellets, hay, and fresh vegetables.
• Learn about a guinea pig’s exercise requirements. Yep! Just like us, they require daily exercise like running around a large, fully-enclosed pen.
• Find a small animal veterinarian that will give your new pet a once-over exam and handle emergency care, if required.
• Stop by your local animal shelter to find out if they rescue guinea pigs.
• If your local shelter doesn’t have any, but they do rescue them, let the adoption coordinators know that you’re interested, and they will notify you when a guinea pig gets turned in.
• If you’ve exhausted local options, search areas surrounding your zip code on Petfinder.com.
• If you decide to adopt multiples, aim for the same gender – or else get the males neutered to prevent further overpopulation.
• Most importantly, meet and handle the guinea pigs before you adopt. Ask the shelter if they’re fine with children if you have kids. Find out about any health concerns (fur loss, for example) or behavioral issues.

A rescued guinea pig makes a great pet – not as high maintenance as a dog or cat and far friendlier than a hamster. And by adopting a rescued guinea pig, you’re helping to break the cycle of abuse in guinea pig mills.

Images: David Masters, photon_de

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From 2015, all eggs in California will be sunny side up – at least for the chickens.

State Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a new law that makes California a cage-free state for chickens by 2015. The bill, which was backed by the Humane Society of the United States, will mean that all shell (whole) eggs sold in California must come from hens that can stand up, lie down, turn around, and fully extend their limbs without touching one another or the sides of an enclosure.

This is a huge win for chickens in the United States. Free-range eggs are the norm in Europe and in fact, the European Union has banned battery cages from 2012 onward. But in the U.S. and Canada, a whopping 98 percent of eggs come from battery hens, according to the book The Ethics of What We Eat by Peter Singer and Jim Mason. The life of a battery hen is no life at all – Nobel Prize winner Dr Konrad Lorenz describes it as “torture”.

Hopefully given the size of California, with around 40 million citizens, this new law could galvanize other states into action. It might even shame McDonald’s into doing the right thing – the chain earlier this year rejected a proposal to buy a mere five percent of its eggs from cage-free sources.

Whether you like your eggs scrambled or poached, this can only be good news. I for one always buy free-range eggs at home but I’ll feel so much better ordering egg dishes on a restaurant menu once this law is in place. And even if you are vegan, or simply don’t care for eggs, it’s still good news for the chickens. Time for a collective squawk of joy?

Image: woodleywonderworks

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Raccoon dogs are bred, tortured, smashed to the ground and skinned alive in China. The unspeakable methods used amount to animal abuse in the most inconceivable way possible and you might be unwittingly endorsing it by simply buying a so-called faux fur jacket at Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Burlington Coat Factory and dozens of other stores that simply ignore the Federal Fur Products Labeling Act.

It seems it’s easy for retailers to slide by the labeling clauses of the act, despite the fact unsuspecting buyers might be opposed to the slaughter, not to mention allergic to animal fur.

This has prompted at least one California leader to take action to change the system. Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco, has followed in the footsteps of New York and four other states by introducing a law requiring  “conspicuous” labeling of all garments that include real fur. Ma announced the measure at a news conference joined by  Pierre Grzybowski of the Human Society’s Fur-Free Campaign.

Grzybowski says China’s lax animal welfare laws allow raccoon dogs to be raised by the millions and skinned alive and the fur is rarely disclosed on labels. He also paraded jackets, boots and other items purchased at Bay Area stores that contained rabbit and raccoon dog fur not listed on the labels.

The Humane Society fights against loopholes in existing laws which allow jackets trimmed with $150 worth of fur to be sold without labels. Since animal fur is often sheared and dyed to resemble synthetic coats, consumers are essentially being tricked into buying the real thing.

The need for labeling is clear, since we have no idea what we are getting from even the ritziest stores. For example, last summer, Neiman Marcus was caught misrepresenting a pair of Manolo Blahnik $1,495 boots – which it had advertised as “natural ocelot fur” – an endangered wildcat. Turns out the boots were actually common goat fur patterned with ocelot markings. If it had been ocelot it would have been a crime. Was it a crime that it was goat? Not yet.

Labels on clothes are as valuable as labels on food, which help consumers make choices for themselves. And the campaigns and state laws are moving retailers to shun fur all together. Among them is Overstock.com, which boasts revenues exceeding $700 million. It became the 100th on the Fur Free list of retailers and designers to commit to a no-fur policy.

Image: Jeremy Barwick, All Creatures; Democrats.Assembly

Image by: mandydale

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