The practical issue in a Leaping Bunny review is not how to make a broad “cruelty-free” statement. It is how to connect the brand, products, ingredients, suppliers, third-party manufacturers, and public wording to the same evidence scope. If a seller also wants to use certification information in an Amazon Climate Pledge Friendly (CPF) context, the certification, product/ASIN, and Amazon eligibility checks should remain separate.
This reference is based on the public Leaping Bunny Corporate Standard, the Suppliers & Manufacturers User Guide, and Amazon’s public Climate Pledge Friendly guidance. It is a document-preparation guide only. It does not mean that a brand, product, or ASIN is certified, enrolled in CPF, or eligible for a particular Amazon display.
1. Separate the three scopes
- The Leaping Bunny standard: focuses on animal-testing policies and declarations for a company’s own-label cosmetic and household products, their relevant ingredients, suppliers, and third-party manufacturers.
- The product page: wording such as “cruelty-free” or “not tested on animals” must match the brand’s actual scope, the certification name, and the covered product list. A supplier or ingredient statement should not be expanded into a conclusion about an entire brand.
- The CPF context: Amazon uses information from third-party certifications as part of its sustainability-feature framework. The accepted certification path and eligibility of a product or ASIN must be checked against current Amazon requirements; neither this article nor a supplier can infer eligibility.
2. Build the supplier evidence file
The public user guide explains that certified companies collect and submit declarations completed by ingredient suppliers and product manufacturers. A working evidence file should identify at least:
- the applicant’s legal name, brand name, product categories, and products intended to be covered;
- each product’s formula or ingredient list, including the direct supplier and original manufacturer where relevant;
- each third-party manufacturer, its product scope, and the person responsible for the document;
- the signing entity, date, product scope, and version of each supplier or manufacturer declaration;
- the company’s animal-testing policy, fixed cut-off date where applicable, and supplier-monitoring records;
- change records for new ingredients, formula changes, supplier changes, and new products.
A supplier’s verbal assurance that it does not conduct animal testing is a lead for review, not a substitute for the declaration or other documents required by the certification process. Do not collapse the original ingredient manufacturer, direct supplier, and product manufacturer into one legal entity.
3. Keep the claim wording within scope
First identify what the wording describes: a brand policy, a certification program, a specific product, or a market-specific product page. Use the relevant name only when the evidence scope is clear. Do not treat “vegan,” “natural,” “organic,” or “sustainable” as substitutes for “cruelty-free,” and do not turn “the finished product was not tested” into an absolute statement covering every ingredient and supplier.
- Use the certification or program name as it appears in the relevant public record; do not redesign its mark or wording.
- Reference evidence that matches the current product, brand, and market scope.
- For products, suppliers, or regions outside the verified scope, say that the applicable scope must be checked rather than extending the claim.
- When evidence changes, review the title, bullets, FAQ, image text, and backend attributes together.
4. Run a separate CPF checklist
- Confirm the certification paths and submission route currently recognized by Amazon CPF; do not rely on an old screenshot or third-party list.
- Confirm that the certification applies to the complete product, rather than only its packaging, an ingredient, or a supplier facility.
- Map certification name, product name, brand, ASIN/SKU, and selling market one-to-one, and retain the submitted version.
- Check that the CPF leaf icon, certification name, and sustainability attributes are not used for products whose eligibility has not been confirmed.
- Keep submission records, platform responses, and later change records. A platform display does not authorize every environmental or cruelty-free statement on every page.
5. Review before publication
Before publication, use a manual matrix linking product, ingredient, supplier, manufacturer, declaration, and page location. If an item cannot be traced to an original declaration, a public certification record, or a current platform requirement, narrow the wording or hold it for review. Do not fill the evidence gap with outcome language such as “compliant,” “approved,” or “guaranteed to receive CPF.”
Sources: Leaping Bunny Corporate Standard; Suppliers & Manufacturers User Guide; Amazon Ads Climate Pledge Friendly guidance.
