The Ethical Consumer Group is a community based, not-for-profit network set up to help facilitate more sustainable purchasing practices for the everyday consumer. Broadly they focus on three areas: resources, education and campaigns.

1. To provide resources to help facilitate more ethical and sustainable purchasing practices for the everyday consumer.

This includes increasing awareness about the unseen social and environmental impacts (‘real costs’) of purchases, and communicating tangible alternatives for making more ethical and sustainable choices. This is primarily through their database-driven website, - with product, company and issue-related information, and through their printed buying guide.

2. To educate and empower people to shop responsibly and raise awareness of their consumer power.

This includes introducing a systematic approach to purchasing, helping shoppers to evaluate their purchases with sustainable considerations in mind, and providing a support network in which ideas, struggles and learnings can be shared. This is primarily through public workshops and educational presentations; and regular local meetings.

3. To encourage greater transparency and accountability for products, processes and associated impacts.

This includes promotion of existing campaigns related to ethical consumption, and the provision of tools for feedback to companies, suppliers and government.

A little local knowledge
A short movie about finding good food in an era of convenience.