Better World Shopper

A public research project for ethical consumers

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How it Works

BETTER WORLD SHOPPER is a public research project dedicated to making social and environmental data available to consumers who wish to utilize their dollars as votes in order to help build a better world.

This research project translates a comprehensive database of over 2000 companies and utilizes 76 reliable sources of data so that the public can hold companies accountable in a practical way, every day. This level of transparency allows consumers to vote with their wallets, selecting the companies whose practice align with their own values. Companies’ track records are evaluated using the following five major categories:

Human
Rights
The
Environment
Animal
Protection
Community
Involvement
Social
Justice

Key Issues

This public research project represents one of the most comprehensive social & environmental responsibility rating systems available, including data from a wide range of private, government and nonprofit sources, compiled over the past 30 years and condensed into the following 5 key categories:

 

Human Rights

Child labor, sweatshops, slavery, worker health and safety records, human trafficking, developing world exploitation, international health issues, economic divestment, union busting, fair trade, worker fatalities, livable wages, democratic principles.

The Environment

Climate change, renewable energy, toxic waste dumping, recycling, eco-innovations, sustainable farming, ocean conservation, rainforest destruction, ecosystem impacts, overall pollution.

Animal Protection

Humane treatment, factory farming, animal habitat preservation, sustainable seafood harvesting, animal testing, animal-free alternatives, vegan-friendly.

Community Involvement

Family farms, nonprofit alliances, local businesses, sustainable growth, campaign contributions, paid lobbyists, political corruption, greenwashing, transparency.

Social Justice

Discrimination and/or harassment (based on race, gender, age, sexuality, ability, religion, ethnicity), class-action lawsuits, unethical business practices, government fines, cover-ups, illegal activities, executive pay.

The Best & The Worst

Companies on the cutting edge of Sustainability

The following list contains those companies that are leaders in social and environmental responsibility based on an extensive analysis of their overall records.

 

New Belgium

#1

Seventh Generation

#2

Organic Valley

#3

Patagonia

#4

AlterEco

#5

Dr. Bronners

#6

Method

#7

Equal Exchange

#8

Traditional Medicinals

#9

Ecover

#10

Worst Brands

The companies in the following list rate at the very bottom in terms of  social and environmental responsibility. According to all of the publicly available data, these companies are involved in the most troubling practices that we can track currently.

Exxon-Mobil

#1

Kraft Heinz

#2

Walmart

#3

Chevron-Texaco

#4

General Motors

#5

General Electric

#6

Pfizer

#7

Nestle

#8

Citibank

#9

Dow Chemical

#10

 

The Grades

All of the data behind the rankings is contained in a massive database of over 2000 companies that keeps track of all of the relevant information and crunches the numbers. This project collects, classifies & analyzes the information for ethical consumers so that they have easy-to-use report cards that allow them to quickly identify the most/least responsible choices when they are shopping online, at the supermarket, or in a mall.

This is how the grading system works:

The Grades

These companies are social and enviromental leaders in their category

These tend to be mainstream companies taking social/environmental responsibility seriously

These companies have either mixed social and environmental records or insufficient data available to rank them

These engage in practices that have significant negative impacts on people and the planet

These companies have the worst social and enviromental records in the industry

The Companies

Search for specific companies or filter by industry category to see how organizations are behaving on the above key issues.

Grade

Category

Companies

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The Book

The only comprehensive guide for socially and environmentally responsible consumers available, this book ranks every product on the shelf from A to F so you can quickly tell the “good guys” from the “bad guys” — turning your grocery list into a powerful tool to change the world. Representing over 15 years of distilled research, data is organized into the most common product categories including coffee, energy bars, computers, gasoline, clothing, banks, cars, water and more. Also included is a summary of the essential information about particular product categories, profiles of the best and worst companies, practical buying tips and the most useful online resources available. Whether you believe in environmental sustainability, human rights, animal protection, community involvement or social justice, you'll want this book. Small enough [4"x6"] to fit in a back pocket or small purse and organized in a shopping-friendly format, The Better World Shopping Guide will help you change the world as you shop! For just 15 bucks, how can you NOT get one?

Contact Us

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