App Review: Shop Ethical!

I go through phases of downloading heaps of apps on my iPhone - and then not using most of them more than a few times.

One of the stayers has been Shop Ethical - an app that aims to help you make smarter choice at the supermarket.

I didn't really believe that it would be compatible with Aussie supermarkets - or have enough product data to be useful - so I took it for a whirl on my last shopping trip.

You can either input the product name (ie tea) or company name (ie Nerada) into the search field, and then once you've selected the item you're considering, it brings up plenty of information about who the company is owned by (and all the contact details) and whether they're Australian owned, if they use animal testing, if they've signed the Australian Packing Covenant, if they're organic, if they're genetically modified, if they have good business practices, if they exploit their workers... the list goes on.

For instance - I found out that Tetley Tea is owned by the Tata Group - who are a subsidiary of Tata Power who make weapons for India's defence force, and on the list of companies who are directly or indirectly helping finance Burma's brutal military dictatorship.

Sheesh! That's heavy stuff whilst you're juggling an overflowing shopping basket and trying to figure out which is the cheapest box of tea...

So there's certainly enough information there to help you make a decision - but there's also enough information there to totally distract you for 15 minutes in aisle 6 until you realise you're running late and you race through the rest of the shopping without a second thought if your frozen yoghurt is ethical or not.

Regardless, it's a great app with plenty of info - just make sure you've allowed yourself enough time at the supermarket!