P&G joins campaign to ban cosmetic animal testing worldwide

Procter & Gamble (P&G) has joined Humane Society International’s (HSI) BeCrueltyFree campaign, which aims to ban animal testing for cosmetics worldwide by 2023.

Originally launched in 2012, the campaign is pushing for more countries to stop the practice following the EU’s decision to implement a ban six years ago.

P&G, HSI, the Humane Society of the US (HSUS) and the Humane Society Legislative Fund have been working to increase the regulatory uptake of animal-free test methods for more than two decades.

P&G corporate communications and animal welfare advocacy Dr Harald Schlatter said: “We’ve invested more than $420m over forty years in developing non-animal test methods.

“Our researchers have led or co-designed at least twenty-five cruelty-free methods that have replaced animal testing of cosmetic products. HSI and the HSUS have been powerful partners in advancing these methods globally.”

Under the latest BeCrueltyFree campaign, P&G will support education and capacity building programmes for non-animal alternatives.

It will also keep working to identify new methods of safety assessment and advocate for the legislative end of cosmetic animal testing in key global beauty markets.

HSI and HSUS president Kitty Block said: “This partnership represents an important milestone in our efforts to end animal testing for cosmetics worldwide through our BeCrueltyFree campaign.

“By working together with forward-looking companies like P&G, we can make this ambitious goal a reality.”

HSI research and toxicology vice-president Troy Seidle said: “Animal testing of cosmetics not only causes unnecessary animal suffering, but it also represents outdated science.

“For more than 20 years, we have collaborated with P&G to advance the development and regulatory acceptance of non-animal testing approaches, but in order to finally move proposed cosmetics animal testing bans into law, in the US, Canada, Brazil, Chile, South Africa and other influential markets, we need the active support of major industry leaders such as P&G.

“With the power of P&G’s household brands, I’m confident we can achieve a legislative end to cosmetic animal testing globally within five years.”