Ethical Shopping

The way we spend our money can help to change the world.

Every time we shop we're voting with our wallet. When we buy from brands that have a positive impact it’s like voting for a better world.

With a few small steps it’s easy to start your journey to become an Ethical Consumer and shop ethically.

Here we list 10 easy to do things that can have a big impact.

Simple to use ethical shopping guides for more than 100 products and services.

From baked beans to broadband, washing machines to wine, we've got it covered. 

Fairtrade is one of the greatest successes of the ethical consumer movement. In recent years it has become a mainstay on supermarket shelves appearing on food products as diverse as wine and bananas.

But what exactly is it and why is it so important?

UK shoppers are now spending £1.73 million a week on organic products. What exactly makes a product certified organic and why is it such an important ethical label

With the organic market showing consistent growth, we ask what exactly makes something 'Organic' and why is it a good thing?

Veganism is the fastest growing consumer trend in the UK but why are so many people switching to a vegan lifestyle?

Three reasons to buy vegan.

From affordable fashion to saving energy, welcome to our guide on shopping ethically while saving money and the planet.

We start with 5 golden rules, then look at some general advice, before taking a more in-depth look at a range of sectors from ethical fashion to energy saving.

We asked our readers what actions they were taking to reduce their personal carbon footprint.

We had a massive response and here we list 60 of the most popular, achievable and interesting ideas on how to tackle climate change.

Our guide to spotting unethical companies.

Finding out which companies have unethical business practices is our speciality at Ethical Consumer.

There are four key things to look at when assessing if a company is unethical or not.

Over the years, many ethical brands have been bought out by unethical companies. In many cases the bigger companies are looking to improve their image or tap into the ethical market.

Find out about ten ‘ethical’ companies that are owned by unethical companies.

Emissions from the consumer goods we buy are rising each year. When it comes to the environment, buying less is always the best option.

But when we need to buy a new item, how do we know which brands are genuinely better? We discuss what to look for in each sector to avoid the greenwash and find lower-carbon options.

Repairing what we already own and buying pre-loved things is one of the best ways we can cut emissions when it comes to our consumption.  

Here, we provide a roadmap to action for everything from clothing and technology to bikes and furniture.

Did you know the big UK banks are still funding climate change with investments in fossil fuels? If you are thinking about how you can help take action on climate change, who bank with is an important decision.

We highlight three big issues that might affect who you bank with and link to our ethical banking guides.

During our research into ethical cleaning products, several issues kept coming up.

In this article we look at whether your washing up liquid, laundry cleaner or dishwasher detergent is squeaky clean or if it contains microplastics or palm oil, if it has ingredients which have been tested on animals, and how it's packaged.

We know that lots of our readers use supermarkets particularly for their food shopping. Yet, supermarkets in general score poorly in our ratings.

So, how can you do your best to shop ethically in the supermarket? Our article gives you tips about what to look for and which supermarkets are best for different issues such as packaging or vegetarian and vegan ranges.

You're doing your best with all your shopping habits, and now you want to think about ethical employment. Is your employer paying its fair share of tax? Does it use a renewable energy supplier? Has it divested its pension scheme?

Find out what to look for in an ethical employer, and where to search for ethical jobs.

Greenwashing is when a company uses adverts and PR campaigns to make a product, brand or the company as a whole appear greener than it really is. 

In this article we examine the problems with greenwashing, name some of the companies involved, and explain how to spot it.

Rob Harrison and Jasmine Owens untangle the complexities of the often quoted statement 'there’s no such thing as ethical consumption under capitalism'.

Spoiler! We think ethical consumption is possible!

We look at what ethical consumption is, and why we think it's different from ethical consumerism.