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The Australian Honey Map is a listing of Australian producers and stockists. It's been put together by Save The Bees Australia to help you avoid imported honey and identify 100% Australian products. If you're buying supermarket honey, be aware that Capilano are retailing imported honey under the brands Smith's and Allowrie. Look for honey labelled 'Product of Australia'.

Online market for handmade & independently created items. Based in NSW.

Third generation family-owned Australian company based in Brisbane. All MyOrganics products are certified organic and available from health food stores and independent supermarkets.

Online marketplace where users can find and purchase pre-loved clothing and accessories. The brainchild of Sydney-based couple Rogan and Kim Carroll, the ReHomed Clothing Marketplace aims to not only give second-hand clothes a new lease of life but also address the problem of waste generated by the fashion industry.

Reusable Produce Bags by Ethical Produce Solutions are lightweight, functional and strong. Use instead of disposable plastic bags for your fruit and vegetables in the supermarket or greengrocer. Machine washable, reusable, durable, environmentally friendly.

Pre-loved fashion market in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide. Based in AUS.

SimplyClean launched in 2012. All their products are made in Northern NSW. Their range of environmentally friendly cleaning products are non-toxic, palm oil free, vegan, cruelty free (accredited by PETA) and grey water safe. Available from selected wholefood stores and independent supermarkets.

The Social Outfit is a Social Traders Certified ethical trading social enterprise that provides employment and training in the fashion industry to people from refugee and new migrant communities in clothing production, retail, design and marketing.

Although this guide helps you to make better choices in the supermarket, often the best choices aren't available in the supermarket at all. Around the world today, people are creating a fantastic future for healthier communities and a healthier planet, through sustainable food production. This includes fair trade, organic and community supported agriculture, farmers markets, local food co-ops, backyard food growing, and the slow food movement. It's a stark contrast to the modern agri-business system, which delivers the food to supermarket and fast food chains. A global system reliant on oil and hazardous chemicals, and controlled by large companies who abuse their power to maximise profit at the expense of farmers, factory workers and small retailers. With every meal, we have the opportunity to support a different food production system, one based on producing vibrant, healthy food with the wellbeing of people, animals and the land at heart. We encourage you to experiment in organic backyard food production, share healthy foods and the stories behind your food, and in doing this make a small, yet meaningful contribution to creating a food production system with a future. Check out Local Harvest, our sister resource for find good food close to you! Buy in bulk at a food co-op in your area, seek out free-range, organic products , or buy in bulk at a food co-op in your area. Share your excess produce and ideas at an urban harvest swap meet near you Grow a year's supply of vegetables in 40m square with a Diggers Club Mini Plot Transform your back yard into an edible food forest with the help of the community

Australia has one of the most concentrated grocery markets in the world. Woolworths and Coles account for over 65% of supermarket sales. The more market share they have, the more influence they have over suppliers, and the easier it is to stamp out smaller independent retailers. Criticisms of the Woolworths/Coles duopoly include market dominance, squeezing suppliers, creeping acquisitions, predatory pricing, restrictive covenants, and building supermarkets in small towns despite local protests. Woolworths is Australia's largest supermarket operator, and NZ's second largest. After years of criticism for being Australia's largest owner of poker machines, Woolworths spun off its liquor retail and hotels businesses in 2021, leaving the poker machines business. Woolworths also operates over 150 Big W stores around Australia. Wesfarmers bought Coles Group in 2007 for $22 billion, but spun off the supermarket and liquor business in 2018. Wesfarmers kept Officeworks, Kmart and Target, which were part of Coles Group when it was acquired by Wesfarmers. Coles Group now owns Coles supermarkets; 1st Choice, Liquorland and Vintage Cellars liquor stores; Coles Express (with Shell) fuel & convenience stores. German-owned ALDI operates over 570 stores in Australia, accounting for 11% of supermarket sales. Most brands in store are ALDI owned. Over 80% of products are Australian made. Metcash accounts for 7% of supermarket sales in Australia and distributes primarily to independently owned stores including IGA and Foodland supermarkets; IGA Liquor, Bottle-O and Cellarbrations liquor stores; Mitre 10, Home Timber & Hardware and Total Tools hardware stores. Take action: Shop at independent supermarkets See article: Tactics used to maintain power over the grocery market in Australia See program: Super Power - The cost of living with Coles and Woolworths Take action: Shop at farmers markets and food co-ops

Australia's retail alcohol market is dominated by two players: Coles Group and Endeavour Group (who demerged from Woolworths in June 2021). This is a problem because it puts smaller independent liquor sellers out of business. It also gives these companies significant control over our alcohol industry, meaning they determine what products are available to the average Aussie. This results in less variety and choice for consumers. Additionally, these companies will sell their home brand and private label products under many different names, none of which are usually associated with the parent company. This makes it difficult to tell whether you are supporting an independent brand or one owned/in partnership with Coles or Endeavour. Endeavour owns the liquor stores Dan Murphy's and BWS, plus house brands that include Castaway Cider, John Boston, Mcallister Whisky, Nelson County Bourbon, Mishka Vodka, Buckeye Rum, and Houndstooth Gin. Coles Group owns the liquor stores 1st Choice, Liquorland, and Vintage Cellars, plus many liquor house brands including Tinnies, Maxx and Steamrail beer, Mr Finch cider, Volsk vodka, Kentucky Gold bourbon, Old Lion's gin, and John Samson scotch whisky. Another ethical issue with alcohol in Australia is the country's unhealthy drinking practices among minors, and the role companies have in perpetuating this behaviour. The use of sports sponsorships and advertising on social media, bus stops and TV means that children are frequently exposed to material promoting alcohol use. In addition, the advertising and packaging of some products, especially pre-mixed spirits, are particularly attractive to under 18s. Many have called on the government and alcohol companies to change the way children are exposed to these marketing materials. Check the labelling to find out if the product is a house brand. If the address is for Pinnacle Drinks, then it is an Endeavour house brand. If it is for James Busby or Australian Beer Connoisseurs, it is a Coles Group brand. Look for small independent Australian-owned brands, rather than Endeavour and Coles' house brands Follow the link for a list of wines brands owned by Coles, Endeavour and other major players.

Bottled water is often marketed as a healthy alternative to tap water, soft drinks, and sports drinks. But have you ever thought about how it is produced? Water is a natural resource necessary for life on our planet. Access to water is a fundamental human right, so water reserves should be used for the collective good. However, corporations like Coca Cola, Pepsi, and Nestle take advantage of this communal property for profit. It makes even less sense when you realise that for the same price as a standard 600ml bottle you get over 1000 litres of tap water! Clean Up Australia says that of all the rubbish their volunteers collect, 1 in 10 is related to bottled water. Because the bottles are plastic, non-renewable fossil fuels go into making them. These same plastics frequently end up in landfill and the ocean, taking hundreds of years to break down. Licenses to use groundwater usually lack proper analysis, meaning companies can often drain more than is sustainable from the Australian people. Is an industry that takes water from local communities, places it in unsustainable packaging, and charges an extreme markup really one you want to support? Make it a habit to use a refillable bottle instead of buying bottled water If you are concerned about the quality of your tap water, it is better to install filters on your taps than waste money on bottled water. Talk to your council, work, or school about installing more water fountains so people have easy access to water.

Choosing recycled paper products reduces the demand for virgin pulp, uses less water and energy, and creates a market for paper collected through recycling programs. Each ton of post-consumer-waste recycled paper saves 17 trees, 4,100kwh of energy and a whopping 26,000 litres of water. Presently there isn't a 100% post-consumer-waste recycled content white copy paper that is manufactured in Australia, so it's a trade off between paper imported from Europe, or buying a locally made product with a lower recycled content. Avoid imported, non-labelled, paper products. These are often from Asia and connected with illegal logging. See the Wilderness Society's Ethical Paper campaign, with a focus on protection of Victoria's native forests and encouraging Australian Paper (maker of Reflex copy paper) to use wood from forest friendly sources. Sign the Ethical Paper Pledge. Look for products with: a high percentage of post-consumer-waste recycled content; a high percentage of fibre sourced from sustainably managed plantations (eg. FSC 'Forest Stewardship Council' certification); alternative fibres such as hemp, kenaf and bagasse.

Many of these are the most hazardous pesticides on the market including aldicarb, phorate, methamidophos and endosulfan. These pesticides can poison farm workers, drift into neighboring communities, contaminate ground and surface water and kill beneficial insects and soil micro-organisms. See 'Pesticides Commonly Used on Cotton' Find out about the Better Cotton Initative Find organic cotton products from companies such as Certton, Blessed Earth, Organic Embrace and Gaia Organic.

The biggest of these in the Australian market include Nestle, JDE Peet's, and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. Many large Australian businesses, like Vittoria Coffee, also have a significant market share. While far from perfect, Fairtrade-certified coffee is a solid alternative. Farmers who are certified get a minimum price for their beans, protecting against unpredictability. They also receive a premium to invest in their business or local community. Another plus is the audits which aim to prevent child and forced labour, discrimination, and other poor work conditions. A more ideal solution is to buy from companies that both grow and roast the beans themselves. This cuts out the multinationals taking the profits and ensures equitable pay for growers. What you can do: Buy coffee that is sustainably grown and roasted here in Australia. Look for products with the certified Fairtrade symbol, preferable from from small, independent, Australian-owned roasters.

However this tells us nothing about the beef being sold in supermarkets and butcher shops. In fact, 80% of the beef being sold in these places is 'feedlot finished' (fattened with grain). There are currently about 720,000 head of cattle in Australia's feedlots. Each animal has five to 10 square metres of space in a pen of 50 to 200 cattle. In these cramped conditions, cattle are forced to stand and sleep in their own manure and endure extremes of weather. Close confinement means a much higher risk of disease so antibiotic drugs are routinely used. Grain feed commonly causes their digestive systems to be acidic. Talk to your butcher and ask for grass-fed, chemical free meat from a local producer.

Many products or the ingredients in them have had to travel thousands of kilometres to end up on your supermarket shelf. Think of all the greenhouse gases emitted just to get one meal to your plate! You can cut down on your food miles by buying products made in Australia with Australian ingredients. The best way to do this is to buy from local independent grocers, farmers' markets, or directly from the Australian producer. If that's not possible, you can use the country of origin label, which is on most foods you find at the supermarket. Most food made in Australia will have a kangaroo logo and let you know what percentage of the ingredients is Australian. Food saying "Product of Australia" or "Grown in Australia" are made here using 100% Australian ingredients. You should aim for these products as much as possible.  Don't forget that air pollution from transportation is not the only way agribusiness damages the environment. How foods are produced can also wreak havoc on the natural world. There is little point in choosing an Australian product to cut down food miles if the product itself causes significant environmental damage. Consider the impact of how your food is made as well as its transportation. Things you can do: Buy Local. Purchase from local independent co-ops and grocers rather than the big supermarket chains. In the market, ask your local grocer where the produce comes from. You should also check out Local Harvest, our resource for finding good local food close to you! The Australian Farmers' Markets Association has a tool for finding farmers' markets and even resources to help you start your own! In the supermarket, choose items labelled "Product of Australia" or "Grown in Australia". Otherwise, choose items made in Australia with a high percentage of Australian ingredients. You learn more on the ACCC's website.

At Coles supermarkets they account for 32 per cent of sales, with a target of 40 per cent within the next few years. Woolworths is also looking to increase its private label sales. House brands mean big profits for supermarkets. As major supermarket chains give more shelf space to their own brand items, name brand products are squeezed off the shelves. This means less choice, both for customers, with the disappearance of familiar brands, and for Australian farmers and manufacturers, who often find that they must sell through the supermarkets' own brands. They are forced to compete with cheaper, often heavily subsidised, foreign imports. House brands encourage us to trust that 'cheap is best'. Their labels don't disclose the manufacturer, so consumers don't know whom their money is supporting. Best choice - choose Australian-owned brands with a positive or 'No Information' rating as preference over house brands. If buying a house brand, choose Product of Australia first, Made in Australia second. Avoid imports.

If you are interested in making ethical choices at the supermarket, why not do the same with your investments and superannuation? This is the concept behind ethical investment. Ethical investment has several names, some people call it responsible investment, others call it green investing. But the basic principle behind the concept is to enable you to integrate your personal values and social concerns with your investment choices. Ethical investment is the practice of consciously choosing to invest in companies whose activities you believe will serve the common good on a range of ethical, social and environmental issues as well as provide financial returns which are competitive with conventional investments. ask your superannuation fund to put your super into their ethical portfolio. consider investing with an ethical investment fund management company. Find out more about ethical investment options: Australian Ethical Investment Ethical Investment Advisors Responsible Investment Association Australasia (industry association)

Uzbekistan is a major global cotton producer (among the top 10) and a significant exporter, with key markets including China and Bangladesh. For decades, the country relied on systemic forced labor, mobilizing 1–2 million people annually, including schoolchildren, college students, and civil servants, to harvest cotton by hand. Human rights concerns, documented by Uzbek activists and the Cotton Campaign, led to a global boycott initiated in 2010, with over 330 companies pledging not to source Uzbek cotton due to forced and child labor. The World Bank supported third-party monitoring by the International Labour Organization starting in 2015, which confirmed the elimination of systemic forced and child labor in the 2021 harvest. Consequently, the Cotton Campaign lifted the boycott in March 2022, and the U.S. removed import restrictions in September 2022. The Cotton Campaign has now shifted its focus to Turkmenistan, where state-imposed forced labor in cotton production remains widespread and systematic, with tens of thousands of public sector workers and farmers coerced into harvesting cotton under threat of penalties like job loss or land confiscation. Watch 'White Gold - the true cost of cotton' (8min video - 2008) Read about the campaign against forced labor in the cotton fields of Turkmenistan. See the open letter and call to boycott Uzbek cotton (2009). See the list of 331 companies who signed the Pledge against using products that have cotton from Uzbekistan.