Consumer power and ethical shoppingReader submitted

Hi, I am keen to hear of ANY products that are made without any animal testing, or animal cruelty involved in the process whatsoever.  Be it beauty products or home cleaning products.  It seriously breaks my heart every day to see the enormous range of things like floor cleaners, washing powders, lipsticks and moisturisers, that are made by companies who are doing horrendous things to animals in the pursuit of making an extra buck.  Seriously – we DO NOT NEED to test these things on animals any more!!!  I mean, really – how clean can we get?  Oh, too clean actually – half the kids have allergies today because they aren't getting in contact with enough germs when they are born, and allowing their own immune systems to build up the antibodies they need to be healthy and robust in the real environment they will face out there in the world.  And really – I'm sorry ladies, but I have not yet met ONE MAN, who tells me that he picked his bride out from the world of other options he had, because her eyelashes were .05mm longer and slighter more curvaceous than the woman standing next to her!

I for one now FLATLY REFUSE to buy into this 'latest and better' crap that half these companies flog at us year after year.  Hello?  Napisan worked fine – I can't even tell you what it is called any more – oxygenated, vanish, crystal white – whatever – it actually does a worse job now than it did 10 years ago, but I can't imagine how many animals get scorched and tortured every year, in the making of some supposedly NEW thing that we can't live without.  I'm over it, and I'm no longer standing for it.

So, the next time you go to buy your laundry stuff, or your floor cleaner, or your mascara – choose one that doesn't involve cruelty – if we all stop buying the other stuff, they simply HAVE TO CHANGE the way they do things.  We, the consumers, HAVE ALL THE POWER.  We could shut these people down forever, and we could do it overnight – if we just talk with our wallets.  It's that simple.  And even better, we shout with our wallets how PROUD we are of those who are daring to do things – WITHOUT cruelty – when we buy their products.

So, I hope you'll join me in voting for a world where we embrace how beautiful we are on the inside, by choosing products that do not involve the torture, pain and suffering of any living creature, be it an animal, or an exploited human being, working for peanuts. Ethical shopping – this is how we build a better tomorrow for EVERYONE.

I personally printed off the Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) list of products who do and don't test on animals.  It has been a shocking realisation to see that half of the products in my home have caused terrible pain and suffering on the way to my bathroom cabinet – but it has empowered me to now be able to say "This is not okay any more".   I hope you too can find great products that stick it to the animal testers – and create jobs for companies that do the right thing!  I'm keen to hear of any great finds – please let me know of anything you find that is truly ethical!

We humans have all the power over the animals in our world, and it costs us very little to use that power to give them a happy life.  A life free from pain and suffering.  A life liberated from human abuse.

Thank you!
Michele

 

04/11/2012  1:23 am by Beccah

Hey Michele

I know what you mean about animal cruelty - horrifying. I think it is really interesting the different components of what makes something green - health, environmental, ethical considerations. I found this great site when I was trying to find bubble bath for my baby - goodguide.com. It's American, it rates products on a 3 tier system based on those 3 aspects, so a 10 out of 10 is great but if you are more interested in animal cruelty aspects then you can search for those.

 

04/11/2012  1:24 am by Beccah

Plus if there is a product not listed you can request it.....

 

04/11/2012  1:27 am by Beccah

Oh and I've been meaning to sign up to that stop cage farming NZ website (great but sad ad on TV) but can’t remember the URL..... anyone know it?

 

05/11/2012  1:03 am by petstuff101

You can go to a couple of sites to support the ‘Stop Cage Farming in NZ’ campaign:

http://www.stopfactoryfarming.org.nz/
 http://www.safe.org.nz/Campaigns/Battery-hens/
 
 SAFE are a great organisation :0)

 

05/11/2012  3:06 am by Wordsmith65

Yes, SAFE are great - I've also recently discovered The Cruelty Free Shop (they sell human AND pet things on there too), http://thecrueltyfreeshop.co.nz/ and I've recently fallen in love with these guys - their products are amazing, and they have a wonderful vision for the future too.... http://www.visionproducts.co.nz/  what I love about them, is I can recycle the bottles once I have finished, and just have them refilled. Thanks for the tip on goodguide.com, will bookmark that one right now!!

 

10/11/2012  4:57 am by ingrid

Try the book called ‘The Good Handbook’, it provides info on eco-friendly brands and products in New Zealand. It’s updated annually and it's online too. :)

 

28/02/2013  11:34 am by Brittany

I hear ya, Michelle! Especially in regards to not realising just how many everyday products in our homes have been tested on animals. I've often found, when talking about this with others, that some people choose to be ignorant about animal cruelty. It's like they know something bad is happening but it's behind the scenes, out-of-sight, out-of-mind. Most of the people that I know who are vegetarian/ actively only choose products that are animal-friendly, have had some sort of experience that made them conscious of their impact, whether it was visiting a meat factory as a child (my mother is vegetarian now because of that), or having a pet lamb, or seeing a movie or documentary on the issue. If only we could grow these experiences and raise the awareness, perhaps people would make better choices!