| Patti Santangelo | Feb 20, 2007 05:41 AM (UTC) (edited on Feb 20, 2007 05:43 AM (UTC)) |
Check out a wonderful reference book called "The Better World Shopping Guide" by Ellis Jones. See http://www.betterworldshopper.org for more detailed information.
ISBN 13: 978-0-86571-576-9
ISBN 10: 0-86571-576-9
Every Dollar Makes a Difference
Every dollar you spend is a vote for the world you want to create
| Phil Mitchell | Feb 20, 2007 07:37 AM (UTC) |
Every dollar you spend is a vote for the world you want to create...
That's worth repeating a few times ....
Thanks, Patti!
| Dawn Mueller | Apr 03, 2007 07:22 PM (UTC) |
I was looking through the website for this book...in particular the top 10 list. What interests me is there are a few companies on the list that are now owned by large corporations. For example, Aveda is now owned by Estee Lauder http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=5l8&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=aveda+estee+lauder&spell=1
I don't know if Estee Lauder has changed their practices but in the past I did not consider them a company with a conscience.
I am not saying it is a bad book but I wonder if the list was based on the companies when they were in their original state or now that they have been acquired by larger corporations. Dawn
| Dawn Mueller | Apr 03, 2007 07:34 PM (UTC) |
http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/rs/profile.cfm?id=220&MajorSub=1&CompanyName=Aveda
Just a little more info on Estee Lauder. My take home message is google any company that you feel strongly about supporting...and see who owns them and if you still want to support that company. Dawn
| Phil Mitchell | Apr 05, 2007 02:42 AM (UTC) |
| Ellis Jones | May 27, 2007 03:45 PM (UTC) |
Dawn,
Great question. Here is what I say on the discussion page of my website (you can read it online at http://www.betterworldshopper.org/discussion.html):
frequent.questionsHow is it that companies like Ben & Jerry's and Tom's of Maine still make it on The Ten Best Companies List? Weren't they taken over by larger corporations?
Many mergers and buyouts result in a kind of corporate Borg-like assimilation of the smaller into the bigger. However, there are some cases in which the smaller company is able to maintain the integrity of its operations despite the takeover. I have been watching Ben & Jerry's since the late 80s. Ben Cohen made it a point to negotiate an agreement with Unilever that would allow his company to maintain its business practices. Since the buyout, B&J has continued to win awards for its social and environmental responsibility as well as expand many of its progressive programs. It looks like Tom's of Maine is headed down the same path. They have done great work in the past, and it seems that they have made a similar operating agreement with Colgate. They are worth keeping an eye on, but until the data demonstrates otherwise, they are still one of the best companies on the planet.
Over the past 5 years of researching these issues, I've found a that ownership is a complex issue. In many cases the smaller company takes on the practices of the larger company (assimilation), in some cases the smaller company is able to maintain much of its integrity despite its new ownership, and in other cases the company falls somewhere between the two. You should know that I investigate each of the companies that are owned by larger corporations to come to a conclusion about how the ownership has impacted their practices. In the cases above, as with Aveda, my own research indicates that these companies have maintained most, if not all, integrity in their practices.
You're always welcome to email me directly about any other questions you have about the research through email links on my website.
Best,
Ellis Jones, Ph.D.
| Kristy Ewing | Apr 21, 2007 02:04 AM (UTC) |