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Veganism and Sustainable Living
A vegan eats only plant-based foods (grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, vegetables, and fruits). A well-balanced diet consisting only of plant-based foods has the greatest impact on human health, the suffering of animals and the health of our environment.
The vegan lifestyle of compassion, awareness, and peace is guided by the basic philosophies of sustainable living. Because they make conscious, educated, and humane lifestyle choices, vegans embody all of the principles of sustainability.
Which products are vegan?
All products at KidBean.com! We have certified that every product: is free from animal ingredients and animal by-products (including wool, silk, fur, leather, dairy, eggs, honey, beeswax, propolis, and lanolin), uses no animal ingredients or by-products in the manufacturing process, and has not been tested on animals.
When shopping anywhere other than KidBean.com, it is important to read ingredient labels and question retailers thoroughly. Many people do not consider silk, honey and beeswax to be animal products, and may claim a product that contains them is free of animal-derived ingredients.
Please note, however, that it is incredibly difficult, if not impossible, in our society to live without using any products of animal-origin; they are in our cars, bicycles, books, videos, and film. Other vegan sites know this also, and still claim to be 100% vegan, even though they sell books, videos, and stickers. We, like they, do not strive for purity; rather we strive to reduce suffering.
In the case of glue, there simply is no alternative, yet. In spite of our extensive research, we have not yet found a vegan glue that meets our standards for safety and quality. In addition, paints and dyes could possibly contain animal-derived ingredients, although the chances are extremely small. While we do not sell any products that are known to have animal-based paints or dyes in them, we may still carry products whose source and ingredient information for paints and/or dyes could not be verified, but only if those products meet all of our other standards.
What is sustainable living?
Sustainable living is a way of life that strives to maximize both human ideals and the preservation of our planet, while considering both present and future responsibilities, and exhibiting respect for our natural world. Principles of sustainable living include:
- respecting and caring for the community of life;
- improving the quality of human life;
- conserving the Earth's vitality and diversity;
- minimizing the depletion of non-renewable resources;
- keeping within the Earth's carrying capacity;
- changing personal attitudes and practices;
- enabling communities to care for their own environments;
- providing a national framework for integrating environment and conservation;
- creating a global alliance.
- breastfeeding
- eating a vegan diet
- recycling
- practicing Attachment Parenting
- composting
- conserving resources (water, paper, electricity, etc.)
- buying in bulk
- using cloth instead of paper (for napkins, diapers, towels, tissues, etc.)
- buying locally-grown produce
- buying organically-grown products
- using energy-efficient appliances
- reusing materials whenever possible (examples include donating old magazines, books and computer equipment to local libraries or schools; creating art and craft projects from fabric, wood, paper and plastic scraps; and printing on both sides of paper)
What materials support sustainable living?
All of the products at KidBean.com support sustainable living! To us, "natural" means that the product was made of materials naturally present on our planet, and that those materials were minimally-processed. We also sell a variety of products made from recycled materials, whether they are "natural" or not, because it is often more ecologically sound to buy recycled products than to buy products made from "natural," virgin materials or from synthetics.
What does "cruelty-free" mean?
At KidBean.com, cruelty-free means that a product contains no animal products, by-products, or animal-derived products (this includes, but is not limited to: leather, fur, bones, meat, eggs, silk, honey, lanolin, beeswax, and dairy products); uses no animal ingredients or by-products in the manufacturing process, and was not tested on animals. We have ensured that every product we carry meets this standard of "cruelty-free." If you shop anywhere other than KidBean.com, always question a "cruelty-free" label on a product--many companies do not consider honey, beeswax, and silk to be animal products.
