World Vegan Month

World Vegan Month is a big deal for us here at PandaHQ, why you ask? Because all of our products are certified Vegan – round of a’paws please!  We understand the significance of being transparent about what exactly is in our products, and we know how important it is for those who chose to follow a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle that every day essential products are suitable for them too!

So, let's start at the beginning…  what is veganism?

“Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude – as far as it possible and practicable – all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms, it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly partly from animals.”  Source: Go Vegan | What is Veganism? | Understanding Veganism (vegansociety.com)

Veganism has a longer history than you might imagine – vegans have existed for thousands of years notably due to religious or spiritual reasons. In more recent times, the word ‘vegetarian’ was used in the 1830s to describe a person who chooses not to eat any animal products, there was one small problem, vegetarians continued to eat eggs and dairy, so what about those who wanted to avoid all animal products entirely? In December 1943 animal rights advocate, Donald Watson, gave a talk on vegetarianism and the use of dairy products. It was later suggested that the non-dairy vegetarians should form their own name and group of ideas, and this is how veganism was born, Donald and his wife Dorothy coined the name ‘vegan’ from the first three letters and last two of the word vegetarian. Donald Watson went on to found The Vegan Society in November 1944.

If you ask any vegan (and we did!) they’ll tell you that veganism isn’t a diet, it’s a lifestyle. Vegans choose not to use or consume any animal products, this means that vegans won’t wear leather, or use products that contain ingredients derived from animals (remember when we told you about gelatine being in your toilet roll…). People choose to live a vegan lifestyle for many different reasons, whether it's to be more compassionate to those we share this planet with, or to help better protect our environment. Surveys have reported a 300% increase in those choosing to follow a vegan lifestyle since 2003 with the total numbers of vegans globally estimated at 79 million!

So, whether you’re already vegan, curious to learn more, or a total newbie to the world of veganism we have some tips on how you can enjoy World Vegan Month.

• Take the 30-day pledge with The Vegan Society
• Sign up to Meat Free Monday’s 
• Challenge yourself to make a vegan alternative to your favourite dish this month, whether its Spaghetti Bolognese, Cottage Pie or Tikka Masala we think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Check out the Vegan Recipe Club for more inspiration! 
• Commit to buying more vegan products this month, this could be across food, beauty and household! Look out for some the below logos on the packaging to know if its suitable for a vegan lifestyle: