Fast fashionistas/swirling pool I throw my money into all the time, ASOS, have committed to banning products made using feathers, down, mohair, silk, cashmere, bone, teeth or shell from their website by early 2019.
The online fashion retailer stocks more than 850 labels, as well as ASOS-branded clothing and accessories, with 12.4 million active customers across the globe.
ASOS told Agence France-Presse that they’ve updated their Animal Welfare Policy to bring third-party retailers in line with rules already applied to their own range banning products containing fur or materials from endangered and threatened species, and adding silk, cashmere and mohair to the strict policy.
There will be no more orders placed for products containing those materials, the site set to be totally free of such wares by the end of January 2019.
ASOS’ Animal Welfare policy, which is freely available on their website, writes: “ASOS firmly believes it is not acceptable for animals to suffer in the name of fashion or cosmetics.”
The full policy states that all products sold on their website, must not use the following “animal-derived materials“:
Not use any part of vulnerable, endangered, exotic or wild-caught species in their products.
Not use fur, including Mongolian lamb’s fur or rabbit hair (angora).
Not use feather/down, bone, horn, shell (including mother of pearl), teeth, mohair, cashmere or silk.
The policy also states that suppliers can “only source certain types of leather, wool and other animal hair as a byproduct of the meat industry from suppliers with good animal husbandry“.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiOw4gADiwT/?taken-by=asos_au
The bold move comes after ASOS first dropped products containing mohair from their site, following an investigation into the industry’s inhumane practices in South Africa released in May by animal welfare group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
A massive number of other international retailers, such as Zara, H&M, Topshop and Gap, have also been prompted to dump products containing mohair from their stores.
In a statement released earlier this week, PETA’s Outreach and Partnerships Liaison Emily Rice congratulated ASOS for their effort.
PETA applauds ASOS for leading the charge for compassion in fashion. In response to PETA’s campaigns, consumers are changing the face of the industry by demanding that designers and retailers ditch animal-derived materials in favour of cruelty-free alternatives that look great without causing suffering.
