All our suppliers are required to sign up to our animal welfare declaration as part of their factory set up. In addition, our internet-based test report system automatically reminds suppliers of our animal welfare policy when they are asked to supply goods made from animal sources.
During the year we extended our animal welfare policy to include guidance on two new species; vicunas and angora rabbits. Our existing policy also states that Arcadia Group expects suppliers to adhere to the following sourcing standards:
- Leathers, skins and feathers must only be obtained as a by-product and not be the sole purpose of the slaughter of an animal;
- No products in full or part are to be sourced from endangered species from the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) or IUCN
- (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) lists;
- Real fur or pelts are not to be used on any products supplied to Arcadia Group;
- Leathers should not be obtained while an animal is alive;
- Feathers should not be plucked from live animals; and
- Arcadia Group branded cosmetics, and their ingredients, must not be tested on animals.
Mulesed wool
Our position on mulesed wool remains unchanged. Our wool suppliers have undergone a review and each one has been contacted to remind them that Arcadia Group bans mulesing.
The term refers to a sheep husbandry practice used in the Australian merino wool industry involving removing skin from the backside of the animals to combat flystrike, despite the fact that it is known to cause suffering to the animal.
Although merino represents only a fraction of the goods we sell, we remain committed to working with our suppliers to ensure mulesed wool is excluded from our products. Suppliers have been asked to provide their wool source to ensure they meet our requirements. Where products have been found not to conform to our sourcing policies we have found alternative sources.
Our internet-based test report proactively asks suppliers to confirm that products meet our sourcing requirements, as well as providing a platform to upload evidence for this.
