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Friends of the Earth member, welcome to Ethical Consumer

Thanks for visiting us. We have all the information and inspiration you need to revolutionise the way you shop, save, and live.

Learn how to use your spending power to help change the world for the better.

Join thousands of others and become an ethical consumer today.

About us

We're an independent, not-for-profit, multi-stakeholder co-operative with open membership, and have been at the heart of the ethical consumer movement since 1989.

We provide all the tools and resources you need to make choices at the checkout simple, informed, and effective.

Our site contains over 130 shopping guides alongside news features and content on ethical markets, products, and brands.

Some popular content we think Friends of the Earth members will find useful and inspiring

From bread to banks, the Ethical Consumer site contains over 120 ethical shopping guides on a range of products and services.

This includes many guides that promote an environmentally friendly lifestyle and products such as our guides to meat free burgers and sausages or our guide to electric cars.

Below are some links to guides that we think, as a Friends of the Earth member you'll find useful and details of special subscription offer for Friends of the Earth members.

Ethical Clothes Shops

In this guide we investigate, score and rank the ethical and environmental record of 43 ethical fashion retailers

We also look at sustainable fabrics, consumer actions, animal rights, shine the light on the ethics of Beyond Retro and give our Best Buy recommendations. 

Our guide to ethical clothing brands

Plant Milks

In this guide we investigate, score and rank the ethical and environmental record of 36 vegan milk brands.

We look into the sustainability of non-dairy plant milks, including almond, coconut, hemp, rice and soya; nutrition, packaging and who produces them. With Best Buy recommendations. 

Our guide to vegan and dairy free milks

Ethical Soap

In this guide we investigate, score and rank the ethical and environmental record of 58 brands of soap bars, liquid soaps and handwash. 

We look at whether bars or liquids are more environmentally friendly, vegan and cruelty-free soaps, organic soaps, palm oil, plastics, which brands contain toxic chemicals, and give our recommended buys.

Our guide to soap

Mobile Phones

In this guide we investigate, score and rank the ethical and environmental record of 15 mobile phone brands.

We investigate one of the defining products of our era: the mobile phone. We also give our Best Buy recommendations and look at company approaches to conflict minerals and toxic chemicals.

Our guide to mobile phones

Current Accounts

In this guide we investigate, score and rank the ethical and environmental record of 29 current accounts.

We also look at tax avoidance, fossil fuel investments, 'deadly' investments in Israel, and give our recommended buys.

Our guide to current accounts

Electricity and Gas suppliers

In this guide we investigate, score and rank the ethical and environmental record of 20 gas and electricity tariffs.

We also look at what fuels the electricity comes from, green tariffs, renewable generation, energy prices, which companies back fracking, biogas and give our recommended buys.

Who is the greenest supplier?

Palm Oil Free List

A list of some UK products which are palm oil free or only use sustainable palm oil, from Ethical Consumer.

Palm oil is said to be found in 50% of supermarket products, from food to cleaners to cosmetics. It is a type of vegetable oil derived from palm oil fruit. This controversial ingredient may be present in some form in nearly every room of your home.

Its production destroys rainforests and biodiversity. The plight of orangutans has been a key feature of palm oil campaigns, due to 80% of their habitat being destroyed in the last 20 years and the serious risk they face of extinction in our lifetime.

Our list can help you shop palm oil free

Support Friends of the Earth with a subscription to Ethical Consumer

Ethical Consumer Subscription

We'd like to offer a special Friends of the Earth supporting subscription. £10 from every new subscription to Ethical Consumer will be donated to Friends of the Earth.

Subscribers have access to detailed ethical ratings of 1000s of brands to help you make the right choices every time you shop.

To ensure that Friends of the Earth receive the £10 donation please ensure that you write "Foe offer" in the notes fields on the order review page on the subscription pages.