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Swedish Stockings are the world's first producer of recycled hosiery, produced in solar-powered and zero-waste factories with OTEK, EU Reach and various other certifications. Made in Italy. Their nylon stockings contain 76-97% recycled content, with the rest made up of elastane (for stretch).

Small family-owned baking business from the Blue Mountains near Sydney. Their gingerbread is vegan and palm oil free, and packaged in compostable wrappers. They also support a number of charities.

The Henry family runs an orchard and cidery nestled under Mount Alexander at Harcourt, just over an hour North of Melbourne, Specialising in making 'Real Ciders & Perry' utilising the best local fruit and traditional cidermaking methods.

T-shirts made from 100% fair trade and organic certified cotton. They're made in factories in India with fair working conditions, where workers are paid a 'living wage'.

Australia Social Enterprise that works with over 130 domestic plot farmers in Samoa to help the indigenous cultivation of cacao. They create bean to bar chocolate, drinking cacao, cacao husk tea and a skin care range called Koko Smooth. Available online.

The Mooncup is a reusable menstrual cup around two inches long and made from soft silicone rubber. It is worn internally like a tampon but collects menstrual fluid rather than absorbing. Unlike tampons the Mooncup is not a disposable product, so you only need to buy one. In 2004, Mooncup Ltd. was awarded Ethical Company status for its commitment to people and animal friendly practices, making it the first sanitary protection manufacturer in the world to be a certified ethical business. Order online from UK.

100% Australian owned company that has been making certified organic teas since 1998, using locally sourced fruits and herbs, and biodegradable, unbleached teabags. Based in Melbourne, VIC.

Velvety only stock clothing that is vegan, organic, natural, upcycled or comes from zero waste fabrics. Most of their labels are Peta Approved Vegan, Fair Trade certified and Organic Certified by GOTS. All the brands they brands they stock are committed to ethical and fair trade working practices.

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.

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.

6 million children are working on cocoa farms, and that's just in Ghana and The Ivory Coast! The vast majority of these children have at some point undertaken hazardous work, including exposure to agrochemicals, lifting heavy loads, using sharp tools, or working at night. Unfortunately, the use of child labour is increasing as cocoa production in these countries grows. But what can you do as a consumer to help out? While far from a perfect solution, Fairtrade certified growers are independently audited to ensure they do not use child labour. Further, Fairtrade ensures a minimum price for farmer's crops and distributes money to farmer organisations to improve their infrastructure. This means that farmers have more income to spend on adult workers instead of employing children. Look for the Fairtrade symbol when shopping for chocolate. The issues with cocoa production also go beyond child exploitation. Adult farmers consistently earn below a living wage. Old-growth forests are often cut down to make way for cocoa plantations, and farmers will illegally grow on national parks to increase their yield in any way. Cocoa production is also known to involve slavery. What you can do: Buy Fairtrade chocolate Purchase chocolate from countries of origin where these issues are less prevalent. Educate yourself on the extent and impacts of child exploitation in Ghana and the Ivory Coast Learn more about the various issues with cocoa production

Beyond the violence perpetrated by militants, the working conditions in the mines are frequently deplorable. The workers, including children, are regularly coerced into work. Conditions are often dangerous, with the lack of government regulation and domination by armed groups preventing workers from fighting for sufficient labour rights. Choose to buy from companies that have taken steps to trace their supply chains and are attempting to avoid sourcing conflict minerals. As You Sow has ranked the largest electronic companies on their commitment to tracing their supply chains and using legitimately-sourced minerals What you can do: Avoid purchasing products made with conflict minerals and buy from companies committed to equitable and conflict-free supply chains. As You Sow's Mining the Disclosures' report offers comprehensive rankings in many industries. Buy jewellery and electronics second-hand. This avoids supporting conflict minerals while also being less wasteful. Contact your local member of parliament and express your desire for greater regulation of conflict minerals and further effort in addressing the underlying problems in these regions.

In the gaming industry "crunch" is a term used to describe working overtime, particularly when there is a fast-approaching deadline. Game developers commonly work 60-80, even up to 100 hours a week, typically during the months leading up to a game's release. Developers forced to crunch end up sacrificing weekends, time with their families, and their personal health in the process. Speaking up or refusing to do overtime can jeopardise current or future job opportunities. Japanese companies like Nintendo and Sega have significantly reduced crunch, but in western countries it remains a huge problem. A former Rockstar Games employee explained, "If you're really passionate about the game and working there, and want to prioritise that over your life, it's a really great place to work. But if you want to prioritise your life, it's not." In some cases overtime isn't paid, which has led to lawsuits. In 2006 Electronics Arts paid out US$30 million to settle two class action lawsuits that claimed the company underpaid its graphic artists and programmers for overtime. Rockstar Games settled a similar lawsuit in 2009 for US$2.75 million. Learn more at Game Workers Unite is calling for the game industry to be unionized. Learn more at

This means choosing durable, long-term items and learning to fix items yourself (or taking them to an independent repairer). Unfortunately, companies tend not to support this idea as it reduces their profits. Instead, many manufacturers intentionally design products with an artificially limited useful life, forcing customers to replace their products more often. Check out our entry on Right to Repair for more on how to repair electronics and other goods to extend their useful life. Purchase electronic goods from companies that are leading the industry in efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle e-waste Buy second-hand and sell or donate your unwanted goods. You can use websites like OzMobiles, Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace or physical stores like op-shops and refurbished electronics stores. If your television or computer can't be reused or repaired, recycle it by taking it to an approved drop-off point.

It also requires the disclosure of outdoor stocking densities. This legislation is significantly less strict than the 1,500 birds per hectare standard, recommended by the CSIRO and preferred by the RSPCA, a standard previously in place in the Australian Capital Territory. Consumer advocacy group CHOICE responded to the new standards by calling for a consumer boycott of eggs from companies with high stocking densities. Three voluntary certifications that have documented standards are: (1) FREPA (Free Range Egg & Poultry Australia). 7 hens per square metre. Farms are inspected annually, hens have access to pasture and water, do not lay under lights, and are not debeaked. (2) Organic certification. ACO (Australian Certified Organic) guarantee birds are fed organic grain, are free from pesticides, chemical fertilisers and antibiotics, with a maximum of 5 hens per square metre. (3) RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme includes standards for barn or free-range production where farms are assessed by the RSPCA at least twice per year. The standards are focussed on animal welfare where hens can perch, dust bathe, scratch and forage, and lay their eggs in a nest. (4) Australian Egg Corporation 'Egg Corp Assured', which represents 90% of producers, code of practice for animal welfare as part of their quality assurance scheme has 14 hens per square, and 'access' to outside. Allows beak trimming. Recipients of Choice's 2008 "Shonky Awards". If you want to buy free-range eggs with hen welfare in mind, look for independent certification such as FREPA, RSPCA or Certified Organic. Or use the Choice free-range eggs buying guide to see which brands meet the recommended model code of 1500 hens per hectare. Learn more

When these seep into the environment, they allow microbes to become resistant, making it harder for us to fight certain illnesses. Factory farming places a significant toll on the environment. The amount of water, fossil fuels, and land used in these farms is significant and unsustainable. Animal waste and the pesticides used in the animal feed contaminate waterways to the point that some become dead zones unable to support life! Due to long hours, exposure to disease, and simply the nature of the work itself, workers at factory farms are more likely to suffer from physical and psychological problems. Further, these environmental and health impacts more greatly affect the rural communities surrounding these farms compared to other populations. This list of problems is only scratching the surface. Still, I'm sure you are already wondering how to avoid contributing to this cruel practice. What you can do: Learn more at Voiceless You can stop the problem at its source by reducing or eliminating animal products from your diet. This isn't always easy, so try to remember it is a gradual process. Animals Australia is a great place to go for more tips. If you continue to eat animal products, look for those which are independently certified by organisations like the RSPCA. The ethical standards for these items are higher, although far from perfect. If buying meat, Sustainable Table's Ethical Meat Suppliers Directory will help you find butchers offering free range and organic meat. Find cafes and restaurants serving higher welfare food near you at RSPCA's Choose Wisely website.

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.

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.

Independent reports have consistently recorded the poor working conditions in supplier companies. In 2012 a report of ten electronics manufacturers in China found the average overtime of employees was between 100-130 hours per month - well in excess of the maximum 36 hours allowed under Chinese law. 11 hour days with very few days off are common. See 'Who Pays the Price? The Human Cost of Electronics' See 'The Truth of the Apple iPad Behind Foxconn's Lies' See RankaBrand's Sustainable Electronics Report 2014

The Textile Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia estimate that 50-70% of clothing made in Australia is outsourced, usually to migrant women working at home or in backyard sweatshops. Long supply chains mean designers and clothing labels contract work out to factories, who subcontract work out to other factories, backyard sweatshops or outworkers. Often outworkers receive payment and conditions significantly below their award and statutory entitlements. Outworkers are almost always paid in piece rates, usually equating to $5-8 an hour, but sometimes as little as $3 an hour. The low rates of pay that outworkers receive, combined with routinely short deadlines, results in many outworkers having to work extremely long hours, sometimes around the clock, or 7 days a week. Support Ethical Clothing Australia accredited businesses who have taken practical steps to keep their Australian-based supply chains transparent and ensure that they and any sub-contractors are compliant with the relevant Australian laws. Learn more about Homeworkers/outworkers in Australia

Palm oil is in around half of all packaged products including shampoos, baking oil, chocolate, cosmetics, chips, cookies, margarine, and soaps. But did you know that this simple ingredient actually contributes to a great deal of environmental degradation? The vast majority of palm oil is produced in Indonesia and Malaysia from oil palm plantations. The problem is, creating these plantations requires destruction of a significant amount of rainforest. This process takes away the habitat of countless animal species, such as orangutans, tigers, and rhinos. This is especially troubling given the biodiversity of these forests. The indigenous peoples of those lands frequently lose their homes and whole way of life. Unfortunately, palm oil production is increasing year on year. It can be difficult for consumers to know which products contain palm oil as it is usually just listed as "vegetable oils". Luckily, many companies are removing palm oil from their products or producing palm-oil-free versions. These are often clearly labelled as such. While palm oil production currently causes a great deal of damage, there are some advantages to the crop. Its yield per unit of land can be up to ten times higher than other vegetable oils. It is also plays a significant role in the Indonesian and Malaysian economies, helping the countries to develop. Given that a boycott is likely to just result in palm oil being replaced with less efficient vegetable oil crops, many suggest sustainable palm oil production as a more reasonable solution. Leading this initiative is the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) who provide certifications to growers and retailers involved in the palm oil industry. The RSPO aims to allow growers to earn a living wage while respecting human rights, conserving the natural environment, and maintaining transparency. However, many are concerned that the certification process is not strict enough. For example, land clearing and new plantings are still permissible, although there are protections for indigenous peoples and forests with high conservation values. Further, some of their certification options provide little environmental or social benefit while still allowing use of a varied form of their logo. One example is the 'mass balance' certification which still allows sustainable palm oil to be mixed with conventional palm oils. Another involves merely buying 'credits' to support growers without any assessment of the actual palm oil used in the products! Because of this confusing system, it is important to understand the different certifications (follow the link below) and check carefully when purchasing products containing RSPO certified palm oil. What you can do: Download Waza's Palm Oil Scan app to help you make an informed choice when purchasing products. See if your favourite products contain palm oil derived ingredients by checking against this list of names for palm oil. Check out WWF's Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard to see which companies are sourcing palm oil responsibly. Search our assessments database to see which companies are sourcing sustainable palm oil.

Right to repair refers to a consumer's ability to repair the products they own themselves or by taking it to an independent repairer. There are many ways companies limit repairability, usually for the sake of turning a profit. One method is called planned obsolescence, where products are designed with an artificially limited useful life, forcing customers to replace their products more often. Other anti-repair strategies include blocking and locking third-party parts, designing unrepairable products, pairing parts to the motherboard, and restricting access to parts, tools, and manuals. There are many negative consequences to these business practices, such as encouraging wastage, environmental damage, and causing financial stress for consumers. Electronic parts are often toxic to the environment and their materials are rare in the first place. Another major issue, especially when the product is needed for one's livelihood, is that it takes control of one's life away from them and into the hands of large companies. This last point is particularly true for the agricultural industry, where repairing one's own farming tools is becoming more and more impossible. Luckily, change is on its way, and there are many ways you can participate in it. Repair cafes have been popping up worldwide since 2009. These are community meeting places where people learn how to repair everyday items from clothing to bicycles to electronics. You can also buy and sell second-hand to extend a products life, rather than giving in to planned obsolescence. Apple, previously one of the worst offenders, has committed to providing customers with access to genuine parts, tools, and manuals to assist with self-service repair. Finally, minimise the need for repairs in the first place by spending your money on goods which have long lives and can more easily be repaired. Find your closest repair cafe, where volunteers show you how to fix your own stuff. Australian Repair Network has a helpful map of repair cafes around Australia (at the bottom of the linked webpage). Find repair guides for everything from electronics and appliances to clothing and cars at iFixit. If you can't repair something yourself, hire an independent repairer. Support companies that are committed to making long lasting durable products which facilitate self-service repairs or repairs from independent repairers. You can use repairability ratings provided by websites like iFixit to help.

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)

WORKING HOURS. Long working hours and forced overtime are a major concern among garment workers. Factory managers typically push employees to work between 10 and 12 hours, sometimes 16 to 18 hours a day. A seven-day working week is becoming the norm during the peak season, particularly in China, despite limits placed by the law. WAGES. The majority of workers in the global fashion industry, rarely earn more than two dollars a day. Many have to work excessive hours for this meagre amount and struggle to properly feed, clothe and educate their families. The problem is complicated further when the millions of piece- rate workers and homeworkers within the industry are considered. When workers are paid by the number of garments they produce, rather than the number of hours they work, it becomes near-impossible to earn a living wage during a working week. Women in El Salvador are paid just 29 cents for each $140 Nike NBA jersey they sew. To pay them a living wage, they would earn 58 cents per shirts, 4/10ths of one percent of the retail cost of the shirt. Buy second-hand clothes, or support local clothing brands which are accredited by See the Simple Plan and MTV EXIT video for 'This Song Saved My Life' See 'Behind the Swoosh' documentary and more about the fight against Nike's sweatshops at www.teamsweat.org See the Ethical Fashion Report, published by the Behind the Barcode project.

Working conditions have been improving, but serious labour violations continue. Toy workers have to work long days in the peak season without appropriate pay, often for more than 80 hours a week' well above China's legal limit. Many factories impose fines for refusing and other 'misdemeanours', such as missing a day's work or spending too long on a toilet break. The ICTI CARE Process is the toy industry's ethical manufacturing program aimed at ensuring safe and humane workplace environments for toy factory workers worldwide. However, this process has been criticised by labour rights organisations. What you can do: Choose 'China-free' toys from companies such as Playmobil and Lego who manufacture most of their products in Europe; or Fair-trade accredited products. Toys last a lot longer than kids' interest in them so keep them moving around. Pass them on to family and friends (and tell everyone you're happy to get hand-me-downs as presents), join your local Freecycle, seek out used toy fairs, buy and sell used toys online or join a local toy library. See report: The Dark Side of the Glittering World - Exploitation in Toy Factories in China