Call for all fur to be labelled

Wednesday, June 09, 2010

A coat with fur trim may be labled as ‘100% cotton’ etc. but the label often only refers to the main body of the garment and not the trimmings.  Quite often shop staff are unable to tell you if the fur is real or not, and many assume - like the customers - that it is bound to be fake. 

Customers often use price as a guide and think ‘if its affordable it must be fake’.  This isn’t the case.  Over the past few years, real fur trimmed gloves have been found on sale for less than 5 pounds sterling, shoes at less than 20 pounds sterling and coats for less than 100.

Respect for Animals is calling on the Government to introduce a labelling order for all garments with fur trim, regardless of cost or the species of the animal involved.

Please write to your MP asking him or her to sign EDM 175 LABELLING OF PRODUCTS MADE FROM ANIMAL FUR which calls upon the government to introduce fur labelling as soon as possible.  You can write to your MP at The House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA or use http://www.writetothem.com/ where you can also find the name of your MP if you do not know it.  Check here to see if your MP has already signed: http://tinyurl.com/2bwwn9n

Please write to the Edward Davey MP, the minister responsible for the introduction of a fur labelling order, asking him to act as soon a possible. 

The previous Minister Brennan claimed that fur labelling is covered under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 which requires traders not to ‘omit or hide material information that the average consumer needs to make an informed choice’.  This turns it back to the consumer to complain to the Local Trading Standards Authorites after making a purchase rather than give them the freedom to make an ethical choice from the outset.  If consumers are unaware that they may be buying real fur, how will they know to complain if they mistakenly do so? This would then require action from Local Trading Standards Authorities which is unlikely to happen unless a substantial number of complaints are made about the same item. 

Contact Edward Davey MP, Minister for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs by email at mpst.davey@bis.gsi.gov.uk

or at Department for Business, Innovation & Skills,1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET.

In the meantime, when you are out shopping, if you cannot be sure what an item you are considering buying is made of, then please give the animals the benefit of the doubt and DON’T BUY IT.

Please visit the Fur Free Retailer section to find out which retailers don’t sell real fur, you can shop there with confidence!!

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