Marks & Spencer wins first ever "vegan-friendly high street retailer" award
Animal rights organisation PETA has awarded Marks & Spencer its first ever vegan-friendly high street retailer award in recognition of its introduction of animal- and vegan-friendly food and fashion items, and for making them easily recognisable to consumers with its new vegan logo.
Marks & Spencer has expanded its vegan range with an extended animal-free footwear collection, which now includes more than 350 styles of vegan shoes, trainers and slippers, as well as the launch of its new Plant Kitchen food range, which features a selection of more than 50 vegan products, including No Beef Burgers, Cauliflower Popcorn Bites and the high street’s first vegan coleslaw.
Other recent initiatives by Marks & Spencer that benefit animals include its introduction of an extensive range of non-dairy milks and its popular cashmilon™ wool-free knitwear range. All of the products feature the new eye-catching vegan logo.
The eye-catching vegan logo
"From its fresh, ready-made vegan fare to its stylish animal-free accessories, Marks & Spencer is ticking all the boxes when it comes to ethical food and fashion," said PETA Director of Corporate Projects Yvonne Taylor. "PETA is recognising this iconic high-street retailer for keeping step with the burgeoning demand for animal-friendly options and for helping to move Britain in a kinder and more sustainable direction with its easily identifiable 'vegan' labelling."
PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to eat or wear" – pointed out that turning animal skin into garments and accessories also requires massive amounts of energy and dangerous chemicals, which are harmful to the planet. The Pulse of the Fashion Industry report from Global Fashion Agenda revealed that three of the four most environmentally damaging materials are animal-derived. Leather was identified as the most polluting material in fashion, with double the impact of polyurethane (PU) leather.
In recognition for its efforts PETA will be sending Marks & Spencer a special framed certificate.
Marks & Spencer's certificate
