USE THE WEB FOR ETHICAL SHOPPING

Ethical shopping is a subject much discussed nowadays, but what does it actually mean to consumers? Wikipedia defines it as “buying things which have caused no harm or exploitation to humans, animals or the natural environment.” Our newspapers are full of tales of factory farming, climate change, sweatshops and child labour. So we, as consumers, should spend our money responsibly and ethically. We should be aware of the impact that our purchasing has on the environment and the health and well-being of people who make those products. However, it's very hard to be an ethical consumer if you don’t have information about the products you buy. So, here are three websites that offer information about the companies and the products we buy every day.

1- Good Guide: Good Guide is a directory of healthy, safe, and environmentally friendly products. It currently presents products in the categories of food, personal care, household chemicals, and toys. The site gives each product an overall ranking out of 10, as well as individual rankings in the categories of health, environmental impact, and social impact. Users can also post their own reviews, compare the shops for the best price on products, and Good Guide also offers an iPhone app, so you can take the ratings with you when you shop.

2- Climate Counts: Climate Counts gives companies a climate score, rating them on 22 different points for how they affect the Earth's climate. Scores are given on a 0-to-100 point scale, and are used to determine if a company has measured their impact on the climate, if they have worked to reduce their environmental footprint, if they support climate legislation, and if they publicly tell their actions concerning climate "clearly and comprehensively."

3- Transnationale: Transnationale is a 10 year old French site that rates over 13,000 companies for their social impact, how they treat employees, the financial impact of the company, their impact on the environment, and their impact on the communities in which they exist. The ratings are free, but much of the data and explanation behind them are not. Personal membership to the site costs EUR 30€ and members get access to complete data on all 13,000 companies in the site's database.

Start being a responsible and ethical consumer by checking the websites above and spread the word to raise awareness of other shoppers. When we act together, we can change the world and make it a better place.