Using A Better World to Shop with a Socially Responsible Lens
Retake the Roundhouse is all about making it easy for you to use your voice in advocating for progressive candidates and legislation. But it is also possible to use your wallet by incorporating corporate policies and practices into your daily buying habits.
A Better World does, what few of us has the time to do. It has researched over 2000 companies and evaluated their social responsibility using 5 criteria (below). A Better World is now in its 5th edition with over 150,000 copies purchased. They rank companies in 71 different kinds of consumer purchases and provide a very brief synopsis of their rationale for their rankings. The book itself is tiny and could fit in your purse or back pocket and I highly recommend you purchase one, as at $10, it is a tremendous investment. It is available at Santa Fe Hemp, 105 E. Water or on the web at http://www.betterworldshopper.com/book.html.
A Better World Criteria: Below is the criteria that A Better World Uses to rank each company.
➢ HUMAN RIGHTS: sweatshops, third-world community exploitation, inter national health issues, economic divestment, child labor, worker health & safety records, union busting, air wages, fatalities, democratic principles.
➢ THE ENVIRONMENT: global warming, toxic waste dumping, rainforest destruction, pollution, recycling, renewable energy, eco-innovations, sustainable farming, resource conservation, ecosystem impacts.
➢ ANIMAL PROTECTION: humane treatment, animal testing, utilization of alternatives, factory farming, animal habitat preservation, sustainable harvesting.
➢ COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: volunteer efforts, local business support, sustainable growth, family farms, donations, nonprofit alliances, campaign contributions, paid lobbyists, political corruption, green-washing.
➢ SOCIAL JUSTICE: class action lawsuits, unethical business practices, government fines, cover-ups, illegal activities, transparency, harassment, discrimination based on race, gender, age, sexuality, ability, religion, ethnicity.
A Better World’s Recommended TOP 10 THINGS TO CHANGE
- BANK
- GASOLINE
- SUPERMARKET
- RETAIL STORES
- CAR
- SEAFOOD
- CHOCOLATE
- COFFEE / TEA
- CREDIT CARDS
- CLEANING PRODUCTS
If you want to begin with the changes that will make the most difference for people and the planet, start with these ten things. This link will take you to the analysis of the Banking & Credit Card industry and there were some real surprises here.