Buying better

November 20, 2017 8:16 PM

Help me come up with a list of 'good' brands that don't rely heavily on sweatshop labour

I am trying to compile a green list of mainstream brands selling (i) grocery/food; (ii) skincare/beauty; (iii) fashion brands which I can trust (more or less) to have better-than-average employment polices but I'm not sure which online resources I can trust.

I don't realistically think I will go too far out of my way to look for more niche ethical brands I'm always tired and impatient when it comes to shopping - so please help me compile a mainstream list of 'good' or at least 'less terrible' brands.

It would also be nice to know about (iv) unethical companies. I know about Nestle and La Senza. Anything else?

Thank you!

posted by Crookshanks_Meow to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (6 answers total)

The Shopping Directory features fashion designers and clothing brands that are committed to producing fashion in a way that protects both the environment and human rights.

corporate baddies short list:

https://www.laborrights.org/in-the-news/14-worst-corporate-evildoers
posted by bobdow at 8:59 PM on November 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

Good on You ranks brands based on what they know about their practices.
posted by cholly at 9:02 PM on November 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

The Better World Shopper seems to be a few years out of date from what I can tell (site has a copyright of 2014) and takes a variety of factors into account, but it may be a starting point for you. I always found the way they do the rankings helpful (based on the letter grade system) and I liked that it tended to focus on readily-available brands for the most part. It's not perfect but I think it's too bad they've stopped updating it.
posted by darksong at 4:53 AM on November 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

During the Clinton presidency, they Justice Department recognized companies that sourced labor reasonably fairly. I recall LL Bean and Eddie Bauer being recognized as non-sweatshop companies. I searched justice department fair labor practices sweatshop
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT APPROVES APPAREL INDUSTRY PLAN FOR WORKPLACE CODE OF CONDUCT
Global Justice Project
Your Clothes Are Made With Exploited Labor Atlantic
Sweatshop Police the Nation

I think the research will show that it's a non-trivial exercise, but thank you for your efforts.
posted by theora55 at 6:06 AM on November 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

I really love LUSH products for beauty/skincare, and they are sourced ethically and don't test on animals. Here is their ethical buying policy.
posted by fairlynearlyready at 12:57 PM on November 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

Patagonia is the classic example of (iii)
posted by TomFoolery at 2:17 PM on November 21, 2017 [2 favorites]