British Retail Consortium (BRC) recently drafted new guidelines to ensure that items marketed as “vegan” in the United Kingdom fashion industry are truly animal-free. The BRC created the new rules—which only allow items to be labeled “vegan” if all materials used, including dyes, waxes, and glues, do not contain animal products—after fashion buyers reached out to the organization in search of vegan products for the first time. Additionally, the BRC’s new guidelines prohibit retailers from claiming a product is sustainable based solely on the fact that it is vegan. A recent Mintel study found that two thirds of British people between the ages of 16 and 24 aim to make ethical fashion choices. “It’s no longer enough for clothing to be priced well or to reference the latest trends,” Mintel Retail Analyst Chana Baram said. “Many young people today are likely to be influenced by the ‘Attenborough’ or ‘Greta’ effects and are becoming far more aware of the negative effects of fast fashion.” As a sign of the changing times, last year, the Queen of England pledged in her memoir that she would no longer wear animal fur.

Share this

Become a VegNews VIP for exclusive product deals, freebies, and perks galore!

FIND OUT MORE