Sustainability

Positive Marks

For years, ours ratings were all about the negatives. We always figured that the good news can always be found elsewhere.

Then we decided that it's worth rewarding companies for making a positive difference and so we introduced two positive ratings categories:

1. Company Ethos

Back in the 1990s, ethical products tended to be made by ethical companies. These days it's not so easy to tell what an 'ethical' company is, just by the products that it makes.

This column rewards those companies which demonstrate an ethos committed to sustainability across their whole business.

Included are co-operatives or not-for-profit trading structures, fully vegan companies, and those which only sell organic or fairtraded products.

2. Product sustainability

Positive marks are awarded to products in a range of different sustainability areas including:

•     organic products
•     fairtrade products
•     good energy efficiency ratings
•     products certified as vegan or vegetarian

Download a pdf document with full details on all ratings