Lush presents economic case for expanding UK's non-animal testing sector

Lush met with almost 100 senior MPs and representatives this month to present new economic research arguing that the UK's non-animal testing sector could reach turnover of £2.12 billion and employ more than 12,000 people by 2030.

The research, commissioned by the British cosmetics retailer and produced by the Common Sense Policy Group at Northumbria University, found that the UK's non-animal New Approach Methodology (NAMs) sector, which develops alternative testing and research methods, saw turnover increase from £947 million in 2021 to more than £1.2 billion in 2024. Employment in the sector rose by nearly 13% per year over the same period.

Lush said the briefing followed MPs' calls for economic evidence that non-animal methods made business sense, both before and after the UK Government's Replacing Animals in Science strategy, published in November 2025.

The paper estimates that redirecting an additional £100 million in public funding from animal research to NAMs would generate £248 million in tax revenue for the Exchequer over seven years. The funding gap between the two fields remains wide: in 2019, NAMs received approximately £2 million in public funding, compared with up to £1.1 billion for animal-based research.

Despite the sector's growth, the research warns that the UK risks falling behind global competitors because of fragmented public funding, slow regulatory adoption of NAMs, a lack of long-term regulatory certainty and insufficient visibility of NAM companies.

Professor Elliott Johnson, lead author of the research, said: "This research makes clear that the NAMs sector is not a niche concern, and a fast-growing part of the UK economy with potential to deliver significant returns on public investment. The evidence now exists to back bold and ethical policy decisions."

The Government's Replacing Animals in Science strategy sets out a long-term vision to eliminate animal use in science except in exceptional circumstances. Its objectives include driving private investment in alternative methods and improving regulatory confidence in non-animal approaches.

Karl Bygrave, Director at Lush Cosmetics, said: "This is a new frontier that the UK should be at the forefront of to benefit both the economy and society's health and wellbeing. This report highlights the opportunity for the Government to provide both leadership and finance to put the UK at the cutting edge of human-relevant science and grow the economy."