Скачать или смотреть Adidas permanently bans use of fur in boost for Fur Free Britain campaign

Sports giant Adidas said it has permanently banned the use of fur, in a boost for the Mirror’s campaign.  The brand joins a growing list of high-street names including H&M, Next, M&S and Asos which have pledged to be fur free as concerns over animal welfare grow.  The decision comes after more than a dozen European countries have introduced fur farming bans, including Norway, Belgium and The Netherlands.  The UK closed the last fur farm in 2003 on cruelty grounds but imports are still legal.  Frank Henke, senior vice president, sustainability at Adidas, said: “Adidas is driving the topic of sustainability in all areas.  "The permanent renunciation of fur underlines our commitment in searching for and scaling up sustainable material innovations.”  Other retailers and brands who have signed up to the Fur Free retailers pledge include Topshop, Vans, North Face, Zara, Monsoon, Kipling, Eastpak, Jack Wollfski, Lee, Mango and Kathmandu.  H&M says: "We say a big NO to fur, and for many years we have banned the use of exotic skin.”  “Animal welfare is extremely important to us,” a spokesman added.  New Look said: “We don’t believe it's ever acceptable to harm animals in the manufacturing or testing of products and we think having excellent standards of animal welfare should go hand in hand with creating amazing fashion.  “We’ve developed an animal welfare policy to cover all the products we sell so that our customers can get the look of fur, leather, exotics, suede, wool or silk without any harm to animals.”  More than 100 million animals die for their fur each year, the majority suffering in small battery cages.  Some 72% of Brits disapprove of the killing of animals in what many brand a "cruel and outdated" industry.  And a huge majority of us, 93%, have never worn or no longer wear fur, a YouGov poll found.  Claire Bass, executive director of Humane Society International/UK, which is campaigning alongside the Mirror to ban the sale of fur products in the UK, said: “We commend adidas for taking a public stand against the cruelty of fur fashion.  “Every time a leading brand commits to a fur-free policy, we are one step closer to a world where millions of animals no longer endure a lifetime of suffering for the frivolity of fur fashion.”