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ABOUT USEthical Consumer GroupThe Ethical Consumer Group is a community based, not-for-profit network set up to help facilitate more sustainable purchasing practices for the everyday consumer. Our work includes the production of an annual print guide, running workshops and presentations, and hosting of community events such as our monthly 'meal and movie' nights, and our annual 'household action challenge'. Ethical Consumer Group Inc Many people have contributed to this project. A special thanks to Sustainable
Living Foundation for generous access to computers, web & graphic design,
creative arts and much patience and humour. Key roles within the group are:
Statement of PurposeBroadly we focus on three areas: resources, education and campaigns. 1. To provide resources to help facilitate more ethical and sustainable purchasing practices for the everyday consumer. This includes increasing awareness about the unseen social and environmental impacts (‘real costs’) of purchases, and communicating tangible alternatives for making more ethical and sustainable choices. This is primarily through our database-driven website - with product, company and issue related information and through our print buying guide. 2. To educate and empower people to shop responsibly and raise awareness of their consumer power. This includes introducing a systematic approach to purchasing, helping shoppers to evaluate their purchases with sustainable considerations in mind, and providing a support network in which ideas, struggles and learnings can be shared. This is primarily through public workshops and educational presentations; and regular local meetings. 3. To encourage greater transparency and accountability for products, processes and associated impacts. This includes promotion of existing campaigns related to ethical consumption, and the provision of tools for feedback to companies, suppliers and government. Big PictureThe wider goal of this project is “to see the current culture of reaction consumerism change to be conscious and deliberate, based upon care for nature and people, recognising our connection and responsibility.” This encapsulates a desire to see social change on an individual, corporate and cultural level.
BackgroundThe Ethical Consumer Guide has come out of a shared concern that many people although eager to make changes in their buying habits for the better, do not have access to information to make informed choices. This website and accompanying guides, provide information on companies and brands, drawing from existing sources. The information allows evaluation of the social and environmental impact of companies on the earth and our society, and gives insight into the ever-increasing concentration of company and brand ownership. This guide is specific to Australia. We hope that this ethical buying guide can allow people to not only make wiser choices in their purchases and open up a dialogue with companies, but also come to more fully understand the connection between how we act and what is going on in the world around us. It is our aim to:
In doing this we seek to make all information:
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