shop ethical! app

I noticed the Shop Ethical! guide for sale at my church one week and thought I would check it out.  However, I chose to get the phone app because it was likely that I would forget to bring the guide with me when out shopping.  It doesn't cost much and puts a wealth of collated information at your fingertips.  Basically this is informed consumerism at its best.  The guide presents information about a company and you see how it lines up with your values.  Perhaps you want to make sure that workers get a fair wage or maybe you're more focused on the environment--this app will let you know how companies/retailers are performing and you can make your decisions accordingly.  I have found it quite useful when I'm choosing between two products.  A quick look at the guide and I often find out things I would have never known about certain companies, and it really helps my decision making.

It seems to be that their clothing edition is only online for now.  I'm looking forward to seeing that in app version.  I honestly cannot look at a low price on clothing these days and not think about who is getting ripped off in the supply chain, or picture the scenes from the fire in the clothing factory in Bangladesh.  This guide is perfect for exposing all the things that aren't on the label.

sustainable seafood guide

During my masters course I had to do a report on the current state of a fishery, the laws and regulations associated with it, and how stocks were monitored.  Let me tell you, reading about overfishing is depressing.  There are many problems ranging from fishing techniques to the enforcement of regulations.  Fish numbers are depleted while the laborious and time-consuming task of finding sustainable fishery solutions is underway.

Choosing sustainable seafood can be rather difficult.  One approach is to look for the "certified sustainable seafood" label, endorsed by the Marine Stewardship Council.  Their website has data on sustainable fisheries around the world.  My strategy?  I downloaded Australia's Sustainable Seafood Guide from the Australian Marine Conservation Society.  I can just search by the name of the fish and results pop up on whether this fish is a "say no", "think twice" or "better choice".  Details of why they have arrived at that conclusion are listed.  It's all about being a better-informed consumer!  Another easy thing to do is to shop at Aldi, who have an initiative to support sustainable fishing practices.