The Vegan Society’s Vegan Trademark has today (14 March) surpassed another huge milestone as it registered its 60,000th product.
The record was broken when Smurfit Kappa became the first packaging company in the world to register with the certification. Smurfit Kappa’s corrugated products, produced at their Markham Vale site in the UK, are both vegan and environmentally friendly.
Further to this, the Vegan Trademark team are excited to announce an ongoing partnership with Smurfit Kappa that they hope will encourage current Trademark Holders to utilise the vegan verified packaging options.
Research by The Vegan Society, shows 97% of vegans and vegetarians look for independent vegan verification on food and drink items while a 2021 survey confirmed the Vegan Trademark is still the most recognised and trusted vegan labelling scheme, now used for 60,000 products worldwide, including cosmetics, clothing, food, drink, household items, and many more.
Today marks the highest number of registered products since the trademark was created in 1990, with the trademark team registering an impressive 10,411 products in 2021 alone.
The Smurfit Kappa Group plc is Europe's leading corrugated packaging company and one of the leading paper-based packaging companies in the world. They currently operate in 36 countries globally, employ approximately 48,000 members of staff and run over 350 packaging plants and paper mills.
As well as offering packaging that is free from both animal ingredients and testing, the company is currently working towards reducing its carbon dioxide emissions and reach at least net-zero emissions by 2050.
Ericka Durgahee, Business Development Marketing Manager at The Vegan Society, said: “Announcing our partnership with Smurtfit Kappa couldn’t have come at a better time. Not only are they the first packaging company to register products with us, they are also the 60,000th product to hold the Vegan Trademark. We’ve come along way since we registered our first product in 1990.”
“We’ve been wanting to register vegan packaging for a while now – it just makes sense. It’s extremely important that companies like Smurfit Kappa, that are also consciously working to reduce their environmental impact, lead the way in vegan packaging and help brands offer full consumer confidence. We have no doubts that this partnership will see other Trademark holders make the switch to vegan packaging for their products too.”
Mark Robinson, Senior Business Development Manager at Smurfit Kappa, Markham Vale, added: “At Smurfit Kappa, we pride ourselves on providing innovative and sustainable packaging. We are thrilled to be the first packaging company to be recognised as Vegan Society Certified. This accreditation will give reassurances to customers with a preference for vegan products that all components of our finished products are cruelty free and not from animal origin.”
The trademark in figures:
1990 – The Vegan Society introduce the Vegan Trademark
2005 – Ultra Glow Cosmetics becomes the first makeup brand to be registered with the Vegan Trademark
2016 – Vegan Trademark registers its 10,00th product
2021 – Burger King becomes the first fast-food chain to register items
10,411 – The number of products the Vegan Trademark Team registered in 2021 alone
March 2022 – The trademark registers its 60,000th product – packaging from Smurtif Kappa
The Vegan Trademark is the oldest, largest, and original vegan verification scheme, managed by a team of vegan experts to give brands and consumers alike confidence in their purchasing decisions.
By encouraging the development of vegan options and improving labelling on suitable products, we have helped make a vegan lifestyle even more accessible, appealing, and often more affordable.
To find out more about registering your products with the Vegan Trademark, please visit The Vegan Trademark | The Vegan Society. For enquiries on purchasing vegan packaging from Smurtif Kappa, head to Smurfit Kappa - Paper | Packaging | Solutions.
