Following on from the Nestle thread, what do you boycott, and why?

[UnderRated]

Other than Nestle (& its subsidiaries)?

I don't boycott anything per se. But I try and shop ethically, which for us means buying as much seasonal, locally produced (first), fairtrade and organic (second) food and other goods as possible, from independent retailers. We only eat meat that has lived a happy life and I only buy fish which has come from a sustainable source.

I have made a conscious decision not to shop at Tesco any more, and wild horses wouldn't drag me to McDonalds. Ever.

Animal, Vegetable, Mineral by Barbara Kingsolver is a very good book about ethical consumption, albeit with an American angle.

Woops, Barbara Kingsolver book is called Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

I've avoided Primark this year. Somebody must be suffering somewhere for us to be able to buy a £1 t-shirt.

Next and most high street shops, not really on a moral issue though, I just really hate the quality and the unimaginative design of most high street clothes.

Oh and Tesco I avoid like the plague, hate their build anyway, sod every fecker else attitude.

Why do you hate tesco build? Just curious, as I think there buildings smell funny

I boycott United Airlines because they made my father redundant in a rather viscious way.

I would never buy Agfa film because the company manufactured the gas used in the gas chambers in the WW2 concentration camps.

My boycotts make absolutely no difference to anybody but they make me feel better.

at Ivykate. That post looks like I've beensh on the gin, doesn't it?!!

Nestle
lots of local things for local reasons e.g. I would support my local cafe against a chain, and my local pub because the last proprietor was so madly unfriendly
my local pet shop because my dh once saw the owner letting a dog frighten the rabbits and laughing when they got scared
I would never give money to the RSPCA
I try not to have anything to do with private schools although I may have to
compromise on that one in the next few weeks but all in a good cause

I think boycotting is a very good thing for individuals to do, I think it keeps us politically aware
I have boycotted all manner of things over the years. sometimes it got very complicated I lost track for a while of whether I was supposed to be buying French or South African wine, I had to make a little aide memoire

I boycott fruitshots, squash and every child product with cartoons in it as they are normally far less healthy than equivalent food for adults.

I boycott Delta Airlines because their lack of attention to detail put in danger the life of my son. And because they insist that in keeping a leg room good enough to satisfy a sardine.

I don't boycot Sainsbury's because is the nearest supermarket to my house, but will happily do it as there is no justification for the prices they charge for identical products.

I have been boycotting cough syrups since the beginning of time, after my doctor told me that she won't give them to her own children (so glad that so many have come off the market recently)

We boycott Tescos - for their arrogant money-grabbing attitude, esp to farmers. (I know most supermarkets are like that but Tesco's are the worst offenders). Also DH had to work with some Tesco managers once - what a bunch of *

Try not to buy cod because of depletion of stocks but quota system is laughable.

Try to buy local, organic and fair trade. V lucky living in rural area with lots of farmer's markets/farm shops. Never buy meat at supermarket, except for chicken but would happily give that up once I find an alternative. Unfortunately, still looking to find decent free-range chicken though. Local farm-shop can't get it in quantities they would need and last 2 supermarket packs were tough as old boots and inedible (sorry to Hugh F-W who was raving about f-r being the tenderest, tastiest chicken ever), so am back on M&S Oakhams.

what a load of worthy wank

Oliveoil you are reading the ethical living message boards, so you have to expect a load of worthy wank .

Boycott shopping altogether, very bad for the environment by adding to landfill anyway. With exceptions of course and even then, they have to be minimal packaging, FT or organic if possible. I believe that there is an anti consumer thread somewhere here about this.

We do not own or want to own "gadgets" such as ipods, MP3 players, playstation etc. We don't own a TV. However, we do have a VCR and DVD player that plugs into an old monitor. Hate TV for many reasons... grew up in a home where everyone always fought over what to watch, Never had an off button. Now that I'm married with children, I'm relieved that dh and I have made a conscious decision never to have live TV because of what's shown, advertising to children, energy consuming etc.

dh hates Microsoft too. Linux is much better as an OS.

What is it about knocking successful companies just because of their size. Where I live Tesco has built a store where there previously wasn't any where to shop on an ex industrial site so no destroying the green belt, and provided much needed employment in a less affluent area. They also pay better than alot of retailers But of course the people who work there are all a "bunch of ***" anyway arn't they . I'm not defending all their practices but they have become successful because they provide a service that alot of people choose to use. Last time I went there they don't employ people to drag unsuspecting members of the public off the street and make them spend their money there. A while ago there was a phone in on the radio discussing the massive profits that Tesco had just announced. This coincided with the closure of Rover. A lot of folk were calling in to condemn Tesco. Then one caller rang to say I bet there are a lot of ex-Rover workers who wish that rover were as successful...You have the right to avoid Tesco or any other supermarket if you wish to, just try not to sound like you are lookig down your nose at those of us who don't while you are doing so. Life must be good up there on your pedestal.

Not knocking Tesco for their success, I merely despise the route they take to get there, trampling over the small producers & other retailers, & preventing competition by buying up sites to prevent development, and basically thinking that money is all that matters. Many people don't share this view or don't care, that is their choice. But my choice is not support them by giving them £1 in £8 of what I spend. Of course not all they do has bad consequences but Tesco didn't open that store to provide better paid employment in a poor area, it opened that store to make money. (by the way, I never said all its employees were ***, just some of the (relatively senior) management we have encountered)

I wish more British companies were financially successful but I don't think that should come at the price of not giving a f**k about anything else.

I'm sorry if you think I'm looking down on you personally Iloatheironing but most people don't even think about the ethical aspects of where they shop and what they buy. It's hard trying to live an ethical life and god knows I'm not perfect (I would probably be hounded off the ethical living boards if some of my purchases were outed), but I try to make a few reasonably well-informed decisions and I feel pretty good about that. Don't care if that makes me sound smug and as though I'm on a pedestal.

Nestle
plastic bags if I can!

Well of course they are there to make money. I don't recall Tesco or Asda or any other supermarket pretending anything else. They are a retail business with a responsibility to their share holders to make a profit. Thats the nature of the society we live in. Perhaps we should give communism a go after all it's working so well in China.
I think you undermine your argument when you make statements like...... Tesco managers....what a bunch of . In your dhs opinion they weren't very good at their job but that doesn't make them a bunch of *
My dh has worked for a british manufacturing company for many years and watched it systematically be destroyed. We have lived under the threat of redundancy for much longer than I care to remember. He has tried to find employment elsewhere but as he is now 2yrs post cancer diagnosis this is virtually impossible. Do I wish his employer were as successful as Tesco well frankly yes because my dh is being emotionally destroyed by this.
I didn't think you were personally looking down on me and I am sorry my post came over that way. I just find that some posts on here come over a bit "arn't I wonderful because I don't shop there or don't buy that". Some of us don't have the financial luxury to pick and choose what they buy and from where even if they wanted to. It's not that I don't care about these issues, I do, I just can't always afford the free range ethically produced, organic alternatives. As a wife of a cancer sufferer don't you think I would and do if money allows. The Tesco thing annoys me because we do live in a democracy and people have the freedom to shop where they wish. If the big supermarkets make that a little more difficult for people, that shouldn't be problem if, like you, they feel strongly about it.

ILI, I'm really sorry to hear about your husband. I do hope he can find some other work soon. I hope I didn't come across as anti-profit, actually I'm all for it and I deplore the demise of British manufacuturing.
Of course, we all make what choices our finances, as well as our consciences allow. At least if you are aware of the issues, you can make an informed decision. That's what democracy should be about. I do think we need a few 'worthy' types (self- definitely not included as am far from it) to highlight some of the issues though and bring info into the public arena. And there would be better democracy if real choices were available and the supermarkets weren't trying to prevent competition.

I should have expressed the point about the Tesco managers better, that they typified the company's ethos, which was all about the pursuit of profit and screwing over the providers to get the 'best deal'. Sadly (IMO), they are all too good at doing that part of their job.

Anyway, am sure we agree on many points and can respect to disagree on others.

lol mb. I needed a smile today and you just made me smile so cheers!!!!

Reading about Tesco's anti-competitive practices in "Tescopoly" is what puts me off shopping there.

The fact is that Tesco do have competitors even if you do have to make that extra effort to use them. We do stiil have a choice you just have to make that effort if you feel that strongly. In my opinion Asda, Sainsburys, Morrisons etc. are no better. But we are fortunate that those of you who have strong feelings on this subject, and the means to afford it, do have alternatives available to you even these are a little less convenient. In some areas of the world this is a luxury that is sadly a long way off.

Exactly! Unfortunately I live in a town population 20k+ where supermarkets are the only option. We have a choice of Sainsbury's, Somerfield or Asda. Which in my mind isn't a real choice at all. But the supermarkets have forced all the independents out of business.

Our nearest Tescos has rubbish stuff for sale anyway (honest, I struggle to find the things I want to buy in there).
Besides Nestle, I try to avoid buying Chiquita, Dole or Del Monte brand foods (banana wars). Plus battery chicken eggs [shudder].