Showing Off Ecological Awareness
Consumers searching for environmentally safe products that are not tested on animals have a major complaint--such products are hard to find.
To address that problem, Last Chance for Animals, a nonprofit activist group, and the Animals’ Voice magazine are co-sponsoring a consumer trade show Sunday. The show will feature 85 booths offering personal-care and household products that are “cruelty-free,” not composed of animal byproducts and are safe for the environment.
“It’s becoming chic to be cruelty-free, but many of the products are not readily available,” said Bill Dyer of the Tarzana-based Last Chance for Animals. “You can find them, but you have to drive all over the place.”
The show, entitled Living and Giving Cruelty-Free Holiday Faire, will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m at the Biltmore hotel downtown.
In addition to the product exhibits, there will be booths featuring vegetarian food, cosmetic make-overs, clothing and accessories, raffle prizes and a celebrity fashion show that includes a recycled-paper wedding dress. Tickets are $7 in advance; $9 at the door. Proceeds will go to animal rights groups and issues concerning animals.
Show organizers Jack and Dina Carone came up with the idea for a humane products show two years ago.
He is director of special projects and marketing for the Animals’ Voice magazine and co-director of Last Chance for Animals. Dina is a makeup artist for the movie and television industry.
Their first show was held at an Encino restaurant, Lalo and Brothers, and had just 10 booths. The second, held in May at the Roosevelt hotel, had 34 booths and attracted about 4,000 consumers.
“The response was overwhelming. It really surprised us,” said Dina Carone, the show’s producer. “It’s definitely an idea whose time has come. That’s why we decided to do another one so soon.”
The show is run by volunteers, she said. “No one is paid, and all the money we make goes to help animal issues and human health-related issues.”
Exhibitors are asked to sign a statement certifying that their products are not tested on animals and contain no animal ingredients, including lanolin, collagen or other animal proteins. “Most of the products have recyclable bottles, too,” Dina Carone said. “People are really becoming aware of all of these things.” Among the products that will be on exhibit and for sale are cruelty-free cosmetics, hair and skin care products, reusable unbleached muslin coffee filters, energy-saving light bulbs, non-chlorine bleach, environmentally safe dish detergent, cedar pet shampoo, fruit wash, nontoxic weed killer, chemically free flea repellent for the carpet, all-natural household cleaning products, natural linoleum and recycled paper for fax, adding machines and computers.
Evil, a new cruelty-free perfume being marketed by campy television personality Elvira, will be featured at the show.
Companies to be represented include Paul Mitchell Systems, Clientele, Aveda, Joe Blasco, Earth-Rite, Jerrick Earth Kind Products, Avanza Nature Cosmetics, Oxyfresh-Mills, Earth Science, BWC (Beauty Without Cruelty), Paul Penders, and Environmental Network.
Richard, a 1-year-old white rabbit that belongs to Animals’ Voice operations manager Connie Cwynar and is the mascot of the magazine’s staff, will make an appearance at the show, Jack Carone said, “as the symbol of all the rabbits that won’t have to go through testing in the future. It’s easy to lose sight of individual animals when you think of the tens of millions that have suffered and died because of testing. Sometimes you have to look back at the individual animal.
“People are aware now of these products because of the few people who have been making a lot of noise about testing for a lot of years,” he continued.
“I don’t know one person who would use a shampoo used to blind rabbits. If they knew, people wouldn’t do that. But they didn’t know. . . . But issues having to do with other species are a concern now. Most people are decent when they know the facts.”
The Carones hope to expand the show to other cities and teach other organizations how to organize such events.
“My big dream is to go on a grander scale, maybe have a show in Las Vegas, and I’d be willing to educate other people in how to do it,” she said. “I’d also like to do a telethon to raise money for spaying and neutering (clinics) all over the country.”
“We don’t necessarily want to be in the trade show business,” said Jack Carone.
“Eventually there won’t be any need for shows like this. We’ve made tremendous strides in getting moratoriums on testing. Soon no one is going to test on animals anymore. But I hope people will support those small companies who became cruelty-free before it was popular. I hope people will reward them with continued loyalty.”
