Printing Company Working to Veganize English Money

Printing company De La Rue announced this week that it will debut tallow-free polymers that can be used to print English banknotes. Last year, the Bank of England (BOE) confirmed that its £5 banknotes contained tallow—or rendered animal fat—and that £10 denominations would also contain the animal product due the bank’s polymer supplier Innovia Security. Outrage from animal-rights groups and religious sects alike prompted the bank to halt printing of its £20 notes and search for animal-free alternatives.“We are working to produce two versions of the polymer note so that customers will have a choice,” De La Rue’s CEO Martin Sutherland said. “We are running trials to use an alternative additive to put in to make an animal-fat-free version for the market.” Sutherland hopes to debut the new notes in the coming months, allowing citizens to use English money without forcing them to use animal products.