Briefly Speaking NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW
THE SCIENCE BANK TURNS 25!
INTERNATIONAL UPDATE: CRUELTY-FREE COSMETICS
ing remotely. Teachers needed quality science education tools for remote classroom learning and Animalearn met their needs by developing a special resource page on The Science Bank website featuring virtual alternatives available online, many for free or at a low cost. Even those who weren’t necessarily looking for non-animal alternatives discovered how innovative and valuable these teaching tools are. Last year, with help from Science Bank partner Merge EDU, Animalearn launched its Animalearn Philly Schools Partnership in Philadelphia. The program provided Merge’s popular augmented reality science education system to two underresourced public schools, delivering high-quality teaching tools where needed most and introducing even more students to humane science. Learn about all the available resources at www.TheScienceBank.org.
AS OF MAY 1, 2021, China no longer requires animal testing for all imported cosmetics—but there are caveats. The new regulations only apply to general cosmetics (lipstick, eye shadow, etc.) and do not include special use categories, such as hair dyes, sunscreens, and baby products. Additionally, companies wanting to sell their products in China must register with the China Food & Drug Administration and provide a Certificate of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) if they do not conduct animal testing. Although some countries are able to provide GMP certification, it has not yet been determined who will issue a certificate in the U.S. and Canada. However, in Europe, there have been setbacks. A study published in the journal ALTEX, “Continuing animal tests on cosmetic ingredients for REACH in the EU,” reports that hundreds of cosmetic products sold in the U.K. and EU contain ingredients that have been tested on animals despite a 2013 ban on animal-tested cosmetics and ingredients. This stems from conflicting EU laws: the Cosmetics Regulation and REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals). The study found that even ingredients used only in cosmetics are being tested on animals under REACH. A strong coalition of companies and animal protection organizations in the EU is fighting back with a Citizen’s Initiative. According to the Leaping Bunny Program, a cruelty-free certification chaired by AAVS, “EU testing requirements could impact U.S. and Canadian companies utilizing European suppliers.” But consumers can be confident about their compassionate choices if they follow Leaping Bunny’s list of cruelty-free companies, since Leaping Bunny’s Supplier Monitoring System requires annual certification and monitoring that ingredients and finished products have not involved any animal testing. See the list at www.LeapingBunny.org/shopping-guide.
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2021 VETERINARIANS: ESSENTIAL CARE, EVERYWHERE
PHOTOS BY ADOBE STOCK
HUMANE SCIENCE EDUCATION IS an invaluable part of AAVS’s mission to end the use of animals in research, testing, and education. It is one of the best ways to nurture compassion in students and steer them away from archaic methods like animal dissection. That’s why we’re so proud to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Science Bank! AAVS’s Animalearn department started The Science Bank in 1996 as a modest lending library, and today it is the largest loan program of its kind in the U.S., offering hundreds of alternative materials for all learning levels. It receives many inquiries from parents, teachers, school boards, university professors, science camps, and more. During the COVID-19 pandemic, The Science Bank became a welcome resource for educators facing the challenge of teach-