Is MUJI ethical and cruelty-free?
Mostly — MUJI scores 77/100. It clears our bar on 1 of 4 ethics signals, with gaps worth checking before you buy.
Muji is a Japanese retailer known for minimalist, unbranded household goods. While it holds credible certifications on select products like FSC and GOTS, its overall ethical sourcing and labor transparency are limited, resulting in moderate scores (76-78/100) for the sample items.
The evidence, signal by signal
Cruelty-freeflagged
Muji does not publicly state a company-wide ban on animal testing and may test where legally required.
Vegan optionsunverified
Muji offers a 'Vegan Care' skincare line but does not certify it with third parties.
Sells in mainland Chinaflagged
Selling through mainland Chinese retail has historically triggered post-market animal testing.
Third-party certifiedverified
We record 4 distinct certifications across this brand's products.
Public pledges: Muji pledges to use 100% recycled or FSC-certified paper for catalogs by 2025 and to increase recycled plastic usage.
Scored with our public methodology. Profile last updated 2026-09-03.
MUJI products we score
A classic, affordable staple from Japan's most famous minimalist brand, these 100% organic cotton handkerchiefs are a microplastic-free alternative to synthetic tissues and wipes.
A sleek, minimalist film-soap solution from Japan's most famous 'no-brand' company, designed for ultra-lightweight travel and quick refreshes.
More on MUJI
Is MUJI ethical? FAQs
Is MUJI cruelty-free?+
Muji does not publicly state a company-wide ban on animal testing and may test where legally required.
Does MUJI have vegan products?+
Muji offers a 'Vegan Care' skincare line but does not certify it with third parties.
Does MUJI sell in mainland China?+
Selling through mainland Chinese retail has historically triggered post-market animal testing.
What is MUJI's ethics score?+
MUJI averages 77/100 across 2 products we score on certifications, sourcing, labour, packaging and transparency.
What are the best alternatives to MUJI?+
See our full list of ethical alternatives to MUJI for better-scoring options in the same categories.