EMBARGOED PRESS RELEASE
Not for publication or broadcast before 00:01 Fri 2nd September 2011
Interviewees are available by arrangement (incl. weekends)
NEW RESEARCH FOR 10TH EDITION OF THE GOOD SHOPPPING GUIDE SHOWS NO PRICE PREMIUM ON MANY ETHICAL BRANDS
50 FREE copies of this best selling consumer handbook (RRP £14.95) available
to your readers
New research by The Ethical Company Organisation for the 10th Anniversary Edition of their best selling consumer handbook The Good Shopping Guide shows that switching to a more ethical product choice doesn’t have to come with a price premium. The latest edition of the guide goes on sale today, Friday 2nd September, in major bookshops and online.
To mark the 10th Anniversary Edition, The Ethical Company Organisation is offering a limited number of publications 50 free copies of the guide which your readers can claim for on a first come first served basis via a bespoke page on the The Ethical Company Organisation website.
The guide is underpinned by ten years of detailed research by The Ethical Company Organisation into the ethical records of hundred’s of the UK’s biggest brands, covering up to 15 different Corporate Social Responsible criteria (from human rights to nuclear power, the environment to political donations, armaments to animal welfare) . Over 700 famous brands are ranked by their Ethical Company Index (ECI) score – an overall percentage ‘ethical rating’ based on points received for each of the criteria they are judged on - in 72 product-specific league tables under the 7 main sections of Food & Drink, Health & Beauty, Travel, Energy, Fashion, Home & Office and Money.
With easy-view summary tables (plus supporting in-depth research tables), The Good Shopping Guide enables consumers to make clear comparisons with other brands within each product sector and identify ‘the good, the bad and the ugly’ brands with ease.
For example, there may be little difference in the annual financial cost of renewable electricity from Good Energy and nPower, but how these companies regard the environment, animal welfare and human rights is very different. Similarly, there is little difference in the price for an all-in-one printer from Hewlett Packard compared to an equivalent printer from Brother, but once again the ethical footprint of both companies differ substantially.
Brother (Ethical Company Index = 100/100) - All-in-One Printer costs £64.97
HP (Ethical Company Index = 35) - All-in-One Printer costs £65.19
Source: Amazon.co.uk 28/08/11
Good Energy (Ethical Company Index = 100/100) - Renewable Electricity costs £735.20 p/a
nPower Juice (Ethical Company Index = 48/100)- Renewable Electricity costs £736.02 p/a
Source:gocompare.com 28/08/11
For more examples of like for like products and prices from well-known brands (from butter to bottled water, from sugar to vegetarian food) but with vast differences in ethical scores and to see samples of comparison tables used in the guide, see below.
William Sankey, Director of The Ethical Company Organisation said:
In the 10 years that we have been researching and publishing ethical information on the UK’s brands and companies, we have seen the market beginning to mature. There are many more ethical brands and companies today, selling more volume, which now enables ethical brands to sell at virtually the same price as their less ethical counter-parts which are produced by the major conglomerate corporations.
Guide reader, Amazon.co.uk said:
I've been buying the good shopping guide for some years now... for anyone who is keen to make sure they live and shop for a better world this is a must... very user friendly, clear yet detailed ethical reviews/scores of businesses selling all sorts of everyday items. This book has definitely changed my life and the lives of thousands of others (who produce our goods) for the better, buy it now and join in the fun! : ) (Sept 2010)
Jayne Broddle, Corporate Responsibility Manager – Brother UK said:
The Good Shopping Guide 10th Edition exposes the ethical activities of hundreds of well-know consumer brands and guides readers towards the most ethical choices - it is surprising to see that shopping ethically often comes at no extra cost.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
- The Ethical Company Organisation is offering a limited number of publications and organisations 50 free copies each to give away to their readers. To arrange for your publication readers’ free copies, please call or email Claire Weir 07793 016718 / c.weir@ethicial-company-organisation.org with your publication name and date for story online or in print. A web page will be created for your readers eg. www.ethical-company-organisation.org/publication_name where they can request their free copy. Copies will be dispatched by The Ethical Company Organisation to the first 50 respondents to the offer promoted in your publication. Unsuccessful respondents will be notified.
- Images of the guide and sample sections are available below
- Since its inception over 10 years ago, The Ethical Company Organisation has become a respected and trusted source for supplying information about the ethics of some of the biggest and best know consumer brands. The research is published annually in The Good Shopping Guide book, more recently in an App of the same name and it is used by companies wishing to show independent verification of their company’s ethics through Ethical Accreditation membership.
The Good Shopping Guide - 10th Edition
Examples of like for like products and prices from well-known brands, but with vast differences in ethical scores:
All-in-One Printing/Faxing/Scanning Machines:
Brother £64.97 ECI = 100 (high)
HP £65.19 ECI = 35 (low)
Source: Amazon.co.uk 28/08/11
Renewable Electricity (annual cost estimate):
Good Energy £735.20 ECI = 100 (high)
nPower Juice £736.02 ECI = 48 (low)
Source: gocompare.com 28/08/11
Bottled Water:
Highland Spring Sparkling 92p (1lt) ECI = 100 (high)
Perrier 96p (750cl) ECI = 48 (low)
Source: mysupermarket.co.uk 28/08/11
Butter & Margarine:
Pure Dairy Free Olive Spread £1.58 (500g) ECI = 80 (high)
Benecol Olive Spread £3.34 (500g) ECI = 40 (low)
Source: mysupermarket.co.uk 28/08/11
Sugar:
Tate + Lyle Fair Trade Gran 82p (1kg) ECI = 84 (high)
Silver Spoon Homegrown Gran 82p (1kg) ECI = 60 (low)
Source: mysupermarket.co.uk 28/08/11
Vegetarian Food:
Veg-Deli Sausages £2.25 (295g) ECI - 96 (high)
Tivall Frankfurter Sausages £2.99 (300g) ECI 54 (low)
Source: mysupermarket.co.uk 28/08/11
RIGHT CLICK THE IMAGES BELOW TO DOWNLOAD
The Good Shopping Guide - 10th Anniversary Edition
All-in-Ones Summary Table
All-in-Ones Detailed Table
