Ethical Consumer Guide: Your Dollar is Your Vote

I recently stumbled across this great website produced by The Ethical Consumer Group of Australia, which provides a wealth of practical information for consumers, enabling them to make informed everyday choices. Of particular value is their comprehensive 'Guide to Ethical Supermarket Shopping', which lists & ranks a wide range of products & brands found in most Australian (& other country's) supermarkets based on particular principles. This guide is updated annually & includes food & beverages, cleaning products, cosmetics, toys & other common household items. On the website you can search for products listed in the guide or the entire guide can be downloaded in PDF format from their website. Alternatively, a pocket-sized copy costs $7.00 & can be purchased online via their website or from a range of stores, including bookstores (see website for list of stockists). An app version of the guide known as 'Shop Ethical!' has also been released for both Android & Apple users.

The website also provides lots of great information about the globally relevant issues surrounding the products we consume & the reasons for making informed choices. I particularly like the 'what did you vote for today?' chart, which provides a simple yet comprehensive overview of the issues concerning consumers today & I found it to be a great illustration of the areas I hope to address & consider when thinking about mindful living & writing this blog.

To read more on the issues visit http://www.ethical.org.au/issues/. Included is some interesting facts about Australia's major supermarket companies & their significant ownership of the nation's retail market share, as well as their involvement in poker machines, coal mining, & the production of chemicals & fertilisers.

The creators of this website & its materials make mention that looking at all these issues at once can seem daunting, overwhelming & even depressing to a conscious consumer & therefore recommend focusing on addressing just one of the issues at a time. Another suggestion is to start by just looking at the products bought most regularly. Also, often a consumer may have to prioritise their values when making decisions (organic or local, fair trade or rainforest friendly), as it will not always be possible to find a product that meets all the criteria. It's important to keep in mind that there is no right or wrong choice, just better & worse ones. Being informed helps us make these decisions.