It’s time to talk ethical shopping! Now that the Christmas period has passed, you may be sat there wondering how best to save your money, and shop more sustainably. How can you prioritise your needs over your wants? Where should you really be spending your money?
In all honesty, it’s a hard one to call. And while there are some bumper deals in the January sales, perhaps it’s best to hold back just a little. Do you really need those super cheap Christmas present rejects? If so, take a little time to work out where your product is coming from. How is it made? Who made it? And what is it made out of?
This is the mindset that I’m really trying to focus on and share on Curiously Conscious. So, below, I’ve gathered a few helpful shopping websites that give you this insight, that you may be inclined to take a look at before your shopping sprees – be it physical or online!
6 Sites to Shop More Ethically
1. ETHICAL CONSUMER
While you will need a paid subscription to browse the site in its entirety, its ratings go into a lot of detail, giving individual company information, product ratings, relevant news and updates as well as recommendations from various charities and activist organisations.
2. GOOD GUIDE
With over 250,000 products listed and rated in its catalogue, Good Guide is the place to research the ethical background of all your household products. Scores take the impacts on health, environment and society into account, so whether you want to know the back story on your beauty products, or who produces Oreo cookies, the Good Guide is not just good – it’s great. Its clean design and ease of navigation concisely encompass the wonderings of all ethical consumers, making it my favourite website to browse for product information.
3. MY GREEN DIRECTORY
This directory is business-oriented, so if you’re searching for a green business for services from food shopping to eco-builds, this is the place. Support our independents, and make friends along the way; really find out who you’re buying from!
4. KNOW MORE
The search function may be the same (enter the product, or company name you’d like to search in the box), but the site provides the function of raising awareness of corporate abuse along the supply chain, in other words, letting you know if there has been an abuse of human rights in the production of the item you’ve researched.
5. SHOP ETHICAL
This Australia-based site is a great database to browse if you want to know which brands belong to which companies, where they’re based and how the site itself rates them, from “Praises” to “Boycott Calls”.
6. SKIN DEEP
This new entry (as of 19.01.15) is something of a revelation for natural beauty and cosmetics. You can search by product name, brand, or ingredients and each have a rating so as to guide you to their chemical sensitivity. A really great resource for make-up and beauty reviews too!
If you know of any other handy places to support ethical shopping, please comment below so they can be included on the list! And remember – you do deserve a treat every now and then. But make that treat really worth it – know what you’re getting. Take care, stay mindful!
