Feeling bad about buying, say, “Ass” products for example, and the related ethical practices involved in their manufacture? Well, you no longer need to worry my friends, because as usual, there is now an app available to clear up any confusion you may have had prior to deciding on your now, ethical purchase.

Last year in the UK a company launched an initiative that saw a similar idea marketed at the public – the barcode scanner. You could scan the barcode on a product using your iPhone and information related to the way a company treated its staff or how environmentally friendly it was would be revealed.

Now, The Ethical Company Organisation has taken it a step further and launched their own version of the concept with a twist. Basically it produces a nice little percentage figure called an Ethical Company Index (ECI), when you place a brand search enquiry. They have based it on their bestselling book, The Good Shopping Guide, which contains 10 years of “comprehensive research by The Ethical Company Organisation and is a must for anyone wanting to support the most ethical brands through their purchasing decisions.”

These guys have compiled a staggering list of over 700 famous brands all nicely laid out into various product specific categories from travel to money. Like a mini search engine if you will.

What I really like about the app though is this part: “In-depth editorial support within each section, giving information on the ethical issues involved in each product area”. So you’ll learn something too. Graphs then provide cross comparison tables for various categories allowing you to easily see which brand is performing best.

Although the app is geared mainly at the UK market for now, we are probably not far off seeing similar initiatives launched all over the world. We already have the SASSI sustainable seafood guide available here in South Africa which gives you immediate information on the sustainability of eating fresh fish from the menu.

[Source: Guardian]