Animal carcass from the makeup industry is slowly crawling into our environment

The cosmetic industry continues to test on animals, all while releasing carbon emissions and stacking animal bodies filled with toxins into landfills. Animal testing facilities are banned in countries like Norway, India, Israel, Guatemala, Turkey and the European Union. But testing is still allowed in the USA, Japan, China, Australia, France, Canada, UK, Germany and Brazil. These animal testing facilities also dispose of animal excrement, bedding, needles, and syringes that are discarded into landfills, says a report by the Journal Environments. Companies like MAC Cosmetics and NARS Cosmetics pride themselves for being cruelty-free, but their products are sold in mainland China. Valantina Yousif, a customer service representative at Sephora, has worked for the makeup retailer for almost two years. Yousif, a makeup enthusiast, says brands that say they are cruelty-free but sell their products in mainland China are not considered to be cruelty-free. By law, foreign makeup products being sold in mainland China need to be tested on animals in order to be sold in the country. Many animal research facilities require fresh air for ventilation, using large volumes of air in one facility can result in high consumption of energy releasing carbon emissions, which causes air pollution, says a report in the Journal Environments. “One fifth or two-fifths of clients ask [if a product is cruelty-free]. Not a lot care. It’s more so the younger [individuals] who are in their 20s... that care. A lot of the older clients they don’t really care,” Yousif says. Millions of animal bodies, many of which are contaminated with toxic or hazardous chemicals, viruses or infectious diseases, are disposed in landfills, buried or incinerated, says the report. “MAC does not test our products on animals and we don’t ask others to test for us. If a regulatory body demands it for its safety assessment, an exception can be made,” says MAC Cosmetics in an email to the reporter. In 2017, NARS Cosmetics joined the Chinese market, delivering their cosmetics to women and men across the country. “NARS does not test on animals nor do we ask others to test on our behalf, except where required by law. As a global brand and like many of our peers who also distribute products in China, we must comply with the legal requirements and mandatory local rules of each market we are in,” says NARS in an email to the reporter. These two giant makeup lines consider themselves to be cruelty-free, but they sell their products in a country like China where animal testing is required by law. In order for makeup retailers to sell in China, NARS and MAC need to go through Chinese policy and test their makeup products on animals. The burial of dead animals can cause soil contamination. The runoff of animal waste and other debris related to drug and chemical testing may result in groundwater contamination, the report says. “I know that Sephora, its line itself is cruelty-free...this is where it gets tricky because the whole makeup itself is cruelty-free. They have natural hair bristles on some brushes, which will mean that it has to come from some animal,” says Yousif. “But we are getting rid of those brushes so I am assuming in the new line we are going to have...fully cruelty-free brushes,” she says. A research report by Faunalytics looks at the negative environmental impacts of animal research. Toxicity tests are most commonly conducted on rats, mice, rabbits, and dogs, the report says. A standard series of toxicity tests can use between 6,000 and 12,000 animals and may take years to complete. “In an era of unprecedented threats to biodiversity, we are losing species at a rate of 50 to 500 times higher than natural background rates found in fossil records,” the report says. One cruelty-free brand that doesn’t sell its products in countries that require animal testing is 100% Pure. All of their products are certified by Leaping Bunny, a logo certifying that the product was not tested in animals. Their products also have the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals approval, which certifies that no animal was used in the creation of the makeup. Sephora has added green stickers on some of the products they sell online and in-store, to show customers which products are cruelty-free or vegan. “I think I would say a lot of [products] are switching to [cruelty-free] but, I think some of the bigger brands that have been around for a long time are not,” says Yousif. She says Sephora has been bringing in a lot new clean and indie brands which cater to people who are interested in cruelty-free, vegan makeup and paraben-free which is makeup that doesn’t have a lot of chemicals in it.