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Ethical Consumer Magazine

Ethical Consumer Magazine is an indispensable read for any independent thinker.

Each issue features detailed shopping guides, news of ethical products and campaigns, in-depth features, opinion, comment, boycott updates, readers' letters, and much more. Discover the truth behind the products we buy and the companies we buy them from.

Preview the current issue

Issue 218 (Jan/Feb 2026)

 

Tea & Coffee guides

  • Coffee
  • Tea
  • Coffee Shops

Plus: guides to Cooking Oil and Olive Oil

 

The magazine includes:

  • score tables rating and comparing the brands
  • Best Buy recommendations
  • which brands have the most ethical coffee sourcing policy?
  • the carbon footprint of coffee
  • Israel-Palestine rating for all companies in the guides
  • the wages and conditions of tea workers
  • plastic in tea bags
  • what are the ethical certifications for tea and coffee
  • the disposable cup problem in coffee shops
  • what's the best packaging for cooking oils?
  • GM oils and pesticide use
  • the role of community ownership in Challenging Corporate Power

Preview Issue 218 as a digital flip-book

(The full version is only available to signed-in subscribers).

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Ethical Consumer magazine is printed on chlorine-free, 100% post-consumer waste paper. It is printed by Deltor in Cornwall using vegetable-based inks. Our envelopes are also 100% post-consumer recycled paper.

Back issues

  • Issue 201

    Cover of back issue Issue 201

    Shopping guides: Electricity & gas suppliers, Heat Pumps, Boilers, Solar Panels

    Feature: Special report on carbon offsets - the good, the bad and the downright dreadful

  • Issue 200

    Cover of back issue Issue 200

    Shopping guides: Current Accounts, Savings Accounts, Mortgages, Fossil Free Investment Funds

    Feature: Ethical Consumer's 200th Issue - how far have we come?

  • Issue 199

    Cover of back issue Issue 199

    Shopping guides: Laptops, Mobile Phones, Mobile Phone Networks, Broadband

    Feature: What progress have we made towards sustainable consumer lifestyles in the UK? - Special Climate Gap report

  • Issue 198

    Cover of back issue Issue 198

    Shopping guides: Vegan alternatives to meat, Plant Milk, Vegan Cheese

    Features: Universities spend millions with Amazon

  • Issue 197

    Cover of back issue Issue 197

    Shopping guides: Cars & Electric cars, Bicycles & e-bikes, Travel Booking companies

    Features: Is Big Oil serious about tackling climate change?

    The green transport hierarchy - which transport is best for the climate?

  • Issue 196

    Cover of back issue Issue 196

    Shopping guides: Coffee, Tea, Coffee Shops, Coffee Machines

    Features: Are net zero carbon claims worthless?

  • Issue 195

    Cover of back issue Issue 195

    Shopping guides: Outdoor gear, Sportswear, Jeans, Stocks & Shares ISAs

    Features: The state of the ethical market in the UK. Plus, ending forced labour in the Uyghur region.

  • Issue 194

    Cover of back issue Issue 194

    Shopping guides: Supermarkets, Butter & spreads, Biscuits, Eggs & egg replacers

    Features: Which consumer actions cut the most carbon. Plus, the campaign to Stop Funding Hate.

  • Issue 193

    Cover of back issue Issue 193

    Shopping guides: Booksellers, Ethical Online Retailers, Delivery Companies

    Features: Special new report on How to Close the Climate Gap. Plus, the campaign to stop funding climate deniers on Facebook.

  • Issue 192

    Cover of back issue Issue 192

    Shopping guides: Ethical Clothing, High Street Clothing

    Features: The carbon ranking of jeans companies, Solidarity with Myanmar, Advertisers boycott GB News

  • Issue 191

    Cover of back issue Issue 191

    Shopping guides: Laundry detergent, Washing-up liquid, Dishwasher detergent, Washing machines, Dishwashers

    Features: The carbon ranking of coffee shops

  • Issue 190

    Cover of back issue Issue 190

    Shopping guides: Fridges & Freezers, Cookers, Vacuum Cleaners, Beer & Lager

    Features: Should we boycott 'Made in China'?

    Plus, Airbnb and its use of corporate-sponsored grassroots lobbying

  • Issue 189

    Cover of back issue Issue 189

    Shopping guides: Electricity & gas Suppliers, Heat Pumps, Solar Thermal, Solar PV

    Features: Which binoculars are linked to hunting and the military? 

    Plus, the state of the UK ethical market

  • Issue 188

    Cover of back issue Issue 188

    Shopping guides: Chocolate, Perfume & Aftershave, Fruit Juice, Soft Drinks

    Feature: How to get Big Tech to pay taxes to help pandemic-hit society 

  • Issue 187

    Cover of back issue Issue 187

    Shopping guides: Mortgages, Ethical Pensions, Home Insurance, Car Insurance, Accounts for small businesses

    Feature: Which consumer companies are funding Donald Trump?

  • Issue 186

    Cover of back issue Issue 186

    Shopping guides: Current Accounts, Savings Accounts, Ethical Investment Funds

    Feature: Facebook advertisers' boycott