Cruelty Free: Why it is time to expand the definition.

Cruelty free is widely understood to mean a product and its ingredients were never tested on animals [1]. After more than a century of advocacy, that’s no longer aspirational, it’s the baseline for ethical brands.

But the definition has limits because animals live in ecosystems, not labs. Cruelty free should also account for the harm caused by pollution, petrochemicals, and plastic waste once products leave the lab. 

Take Seventh Generation’s Free & Clear Dishwasher Packs, for example. The product is certified cruelty free, but a closer look at the ingredients reveals a different story:

• Ethoxylated surfactants – petrochemical-derived cleaners that can release harmful byproducts like 1,4-dioxane and contribute to aquatic toxicity [2]. While sometimes marketed as ‘plant-based,’ the ethoxylation process always requires ethylene oxide (a petrochemical).
• Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film – marketed as “biodegradable,” but research shows PVA can persist as microplastic pollution, especially when wastewater treatment plants can’t fully break it down [3].
• Propylene glycol and other petrochemicals – petroleum-derived ingredients that contribute to fossil fuel dependence and downstream environmental harm, i.e. the climate crisis.

So yes, no animal tests were conducted in a lab. But the ingredients themselves may harm aquatic ecosystems, contaminate water, and certainly perpetuate petrochemical dependence. All of which affect animals in the wild.

 

The Be Better Goods Commitment

At Be Better Goods, we see cruelty free as the starting line, not the finish line. We do not — and will never — test on animals. But that alone doesn’t deserve applause; it should be expected. Our commitment is bigger:

• 100% petrochemical-free formulations, so no harmful petroleum-based residues enter waterways.
• Responsible packaging that avoids unnecessary plastic and enables a refill, reuse, return system to keep plastic out of landfills.
• Transparency in labeling, because consumers have the right to know what they’re bringing into their homes.

For us, cruelty free means protecting animals not just in labs, but also in lakes, rivers, forests, and backyards. We have a great respect for non-profits like Leaping Bunny and will be proud to display their logo once our certification is finalized.

 

What You Can Do

You don’t need to memorize every chemical name to shop smarter. Here are simple steps:

1. Read ingredient labels. Watch out for vague terms like “fragrance” or “surfactants,” which can hide dozens of undisclosed ingredients.
2. Support petrochemical-free products. Every purchase is a vote for safer ingredients and healthier ecosystems.
3. Choose better packaging. Refill systems, concentrates, or reusable bottles reduce plastic waste.

 

The bottom line: Cruelty free should mean more than no animal testing. It should mean no harm to animals, people, or the planet. At Cleveland's VegFest and beyond, we’re working to redefine what cruelty free really means.

 

Non-toxic cleaning. No compromises.

 

Sources

1. Leaping Bunny Program – https://www.leapingbunny.org/about/corporate-standard-compassion-animals-standard
2. Environmental risks and toxicity of surfactants: overview of analysis, assessment, and remediation techniques - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8480275/
3. Degradation of Polyvinyl Alcohol in US Wastewater Treatment Plants and Subsequent Nationwide Emissions Estimate – https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8199957/
4. CHEM Trust, How endocrine disruptors affect wildlife – https://chemtrust.org/edcs-wildlife/
5. ScienceDirect, Impacts of microplastics on aquatic life – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405665024000702