Organization:Ethical Consumer

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Short description: British not-for-profit publisher, research and campaign organisation

Ethical Consumer Research Association Ltd (ECRA) is a British not-for-profit publisher, research, political, and campaign organisation which publishes information on the social, ethical and environmental behaviour of companies and governments and issues around trade justice and ethical consumption.[1] It was founded in 1989 by Rob Harrison and Jane Turner[2][3][4] and has been publishing the bi-monthly Ethical Consumer Magazine since.[1] Its office is in Manchester.[1]

History

Ethical Consumer was formed in Hulme, Manchester, UK, in 1989. Between 1989 and 2009 it was a worker co-operative,[1] then in 2009 became a not-for-profit multi-stakeholder co-operative consisting of worker members and investor/subscriber members.[5] It is an industrial and provident society.[6] In 2012 the organisation started to collaborate with Lush, creating the Lush Prize, a £250,000 biennial fund that awards innovators working to find solutions to end animal testing.[7]

Company research and ratings

Ethical Consumer researches the social, ethical and environmental records of companies,[1][8] using media reporting, NGO reports, corporate communications and primary research. They provide companies that they deem to have good ethical credentials with a best buy label.[9][10]

Ethical Consumer Magazine
FrequencyBi-monthly
FounderRob Harrison and Jane Turner
Year founded1989
CompanyEthical Consumer Research Association
CountryUK
Based inManchester, England
LanguageEnglish
Website{{{1}}}
ISSN0955-8608

Consumer publishing

It publishes a bi-monthly print magazine, Ethical Consumer Magazine, sold via subscription, at shoppes and newsstands.

It has a consumer website which is partly subscription based, which includes:

  • around 100 shopping guides with analysis of company and product ethics[1][11]
  • several thousand company profiles, which include company ownership structures, brands, and overall ethical scores
  • UK consumer boycotts list; some of the causes it supports are more contentious, such as the BDS movement[12]
  • sections on ethical issues such as palm oil
  • feature articles categorised by sector including: Energy, Fashion & Clothing, Food & Drink, Home & Garden, Health & Beauty, Money, Retailers, Technology and Transport

It also produces the annual UK Ethical Markets Report.[13]

Campaigning

Ethical Consumer runs consumer oriented campaigns, including a boycott against Amazon for its use of tax avoidance.[14][15][16][17] It has also campaigned for better working conditions, on behalf of migrant agricultural workers, based in Spain.[18]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Toynbee, Polly (18 December 1996). "Why the green shopper is not being properly served". https://www.independent.co.uk/incoming/why-the-green-shopper-is-not-being-properly-served-5411924.html. 
  2. ↑ "How can you shop with a conscience?". 5 October 1999. https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/465649.stm. 
  3. ↑ Barley, Shanta (14 September 2010). "Vote for your unsung green hero". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/green-living-blog/poll/2010/sep/14/unsung-green-hero. 
  4. ↑ Hunt, Tim (June 2010). "Workers of the world, co-operate!". http://www.redpepper.org.uk/Workers-of-the-world-co-operate/. 
  5. ↑ Boyle, Dave (2 March 2012). "Fresh Ideas 2 – Good News: A co-operative solution to the media crisis". p. 38. https://www.uk.coop/sites/default/files/2021-07/Good%20News.pdf#page=38. 
  6. ↑ "Annual Review July 2023". 26 July 2023. p. 6. https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/EC%20Annual%20Review%202023.pdf#page=6. 
  7. ↑ May, Amanda (22 November 2022). "3D printed human tissue project among Lush Prize winners for animal testing alternatives" (in en). https://cosmeticsbusiness.com/3d-printed-human-tissue-project-among-lush-prize-winners-for-animal-testing-alternatives-205102. 
  8. ↑ Hill, Simon. "How to Buy Ethical and Eco-Friendly Electronics" (in en-US). Wired. https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-buy-ethical-and-eco-friendly-electronics/. 
  9. ↑ "Stiebel Eltron Secures Ethical Consumer Best Buy Label" (Press release). Bromborough, Wirral: Stiebel Eltron. Retrieved 2026-05-17 – via Process and Control Today.
  10. ↑ "Triodos Bank UK Recognised as Ethical 'Best Buy' for Investment Funds and Stocks & Shares ISAs". Fintech Finance. 6 June 2025. https://ffnews.com/newsarticle/fintech/triodos-bank-uk-recognised-as-ethical-best-buy-for-investment-funds-and-stocks-shares-isas/. 
  11. ↑ "From loo rolls to fashion: how to spend your cash more ethically". 15 August 2020. http://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/aug/15/spend-cash-ethically-coronavirus-money. 
  12. ↑ Halbfinger, David M.; Wines, Michael; Erlanger, Steven (27 July 2019). "Is B.D.S. Anti-Semitic? A Closer Look at the Boycott Israel Campaign". https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/27/world/middleeast/bds-israel-boycott-antisemitic.html. 
  13. ↑ Butler, Sarah (2 April 2024). "Ethical shopping on the rise in UK despite cost of living crisis" (in en-GB). The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/02/ethical-shopping-on-the-rise-in-uk-despite-cost-of-living-crisis. 
  14. ↑ Thomas, Daniel (13 October 2020). "Amazon accused of Covid failings as Prime Day begins". https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54523156. 
  15. ↑ Jones, Rupert (30 November 2013). "Alternatives to Amazon: MPs spread seasonal boycott message". https://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/nov/30/alternatives-to-amazon-mps-boycott. 
  16. ↑ Brignall, Miles (13 October 2020). "UK shoppers urged to shun Amazon Prime Day to support small businesses". https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/oct/13/uk-shoppers-urged-to-shun-amazon-prime-day-to-support-small-businesses. 
  17. ↑ Allen, Katie (19 December 2012). "'Boycott Amazon' campaign launched". https://www.thebookseller.com/news/boycott-amazon-campaign-launched. 
  18. ↑ Carlile, Clare (27 April 2020). "The plight of Spain’s migrant workers" (in en). https://newint.org/features/2020/04/27/plight-spain-migrant-workers. 
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