please help me be a better person!

[mollysmum82]

I've being doing a lot of soul searching of late and I'm trying to think more deeply about how I spend my money. I've started to try and buy Fairtrade where I can and I have bookmarked some sites that sell Fairtrade cards, accessories, jewellery and children's clothes.

I wondered if anyone had any tips on where to buy nice clothes ethically, and also food items? Are any high street stores/supermarkets more ethical than others? Are there any definite no nos? My no nos at the moment are Nestle, battery chickens and eggs, and throw away (primark type) fashion.

Thanks for any tips!

PS here are the kind of things I'm wanting to do:

1. buy in a way that doesn't exploit people (e.g. child labour, forced labour)

1. buy in a way that pays a fair price

1. buy the products that give the best consideration to animal welfare

May I suggest you read (you can get it from the Library) Confessions of an Eco-Sinner? Some of the issues you mention are quite complicated.

Waitrose have higher ethical standards than the other main supermarkets.

Id have thought ebay and charity shops are quite a carbon footprint friendly way of getting nice clothes

Going to your local market and farmers market and buying local direct from the farmers is pretty good.... and you often find craft stalls where local people have used their amazing skills to create nice presents and gifts

Sainsburys is quite good - all their own brand sugar, tea and bananas are fair trade, and it's easy to find fair trade coffee and chocolate there.

We also use the Co-op quite a lot for financial stuff, as they are more ethical than some of the big multinational banks. See here www.goodwithmoney.co.uk/why-do-we-need-ethical-policies/

I use www.ecotopia.co.uk and www.ethicalsuperstore.co.uk for cleaning products and groceries. Also www.traidcraft.co.uk and www.amnestyshop.org.uk for odds and ends. www.bishopstontrading.co.uk are really good for DS's basic t-shirts, trousers etc. HTH.

Waitrose, co op and MS have a lot of fair trade and organic and humanely reared food.
I find if I do slow cooker dinners and freeze - it is cheaper than buying ready meals and quick cook or cut and peel veg

Marks and Spencers have eco and ethical programme, Plan A. The plan, a commitment to change 180 things and make M&S the world?s most sustainable retailer by 2015, includes a number of initiatives on ethical and fair trading

People tree clothes have some lovely soft cotton clothes - they are also sold in my local John Lewis
Marks and Spencers and Sainsbury have organic and fairtrade clothes at reasonable prices
Ditto New Look and Monsoon
I buy in the sale when they are reduced
I buy clipper fairtrade tea - Ditto sugar and coffee, bananas
I buy local free range/organic meat or in waitrose
Method and ecover washing and cleaning materials - often stock up when there are 3 for 2 deals
I get a food box
I buy yarrah dog food which is organic and has high animal welfare standards - hate to give my animals food from animals that have been raised in cruelty

Oxfam Fairtrade Shops (or fairtrade sections in their bigger shops) have:

Fairtrade rice, pasta, fruit juice, rather fantastic biscuits, olive oil etc and fairtrade christmas pudding and cakes.

Also good for fairtrade stationary, toys and cosmetics, kitchenware.

The Guardian's online eco-store has all sorts of fairtrade stuff and is great for sending gifts.

Thanks so much everyone, you've given me some wonderful ideas! I'm starting to make the changes gradually but I know its going to take time!

Just posted this on another thread for animal welfare:

www.uncaged.co.uk/crueltyfree.htm

Co-op own brand cleaners etc are BUAV approved & work - so I use these rather than big "animal testing" brands.

Look at Comapnies sustainability strategy in their annual reports if you want to deal with ethical organisations.

The co-operative bank is supposed to be the most ethical in its policies/ investments etc.

Buy locally as much as you can from farmers markets etc.

I run my own eco-friendly shop through wikaniko and ALL my cleaning products and beauty/toiletries I buy from there.

Buy Fairtrade in supermarkets if you buy from them, although there are question marks over these claims sometimes - Try to buy clothes from places that don`t exploit workers or children - theres probably a list somewhere.

chrissie