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Find microbreweries. The Crafty Pint is all about helping the little guy and those brewers striving to make flavoursome beer that offers their drinkers an experience worth remembering, whether by serving up a new taste experience or by giving them an amazing place in which to drink it.

Farm to Hanger make underwear and T-shirts from Australian grown cotton, with green-powered manufacturing, Greenfleet Carbon Offset Certified, Ethical Clothing Australia accredited production. Based in Daylesford, Victoria.

Australian made (Brisbane), Australian owned company. Home delivery, franchising, online ordering, natural colours.

Footwear company based in California, with manufacturing in Bali by skilled artisans. Footwear primarily made from recycled tires, with over 100,000 tyres saved from landfills.

SwapUp is an online consignment and thrift store, offering preloved women's and kids clothing through their website. Based in Sydney.

Brings free range meat from farm directly to your family. Delivery available for Sydney and surrounding suburbs.

Reusable bags for your fruit, vegetables, nuts and more. 100% Australian made and owned, durable, lightweight, transparent, washable, holds 4kg +, drawstring keeps content secure. Other uses include storing craft or toys, wash bag, travelling organiser, drying herbs, and fly nets.

Currently the only genetically engineered (GE) food crops commercially produced in Australia are cotton and canola. Both these can be labelled under 'vegetable oil' without any indication that they are GE. Processed food commonly contains GE ingredients, mainly through imported corn, soy and cottonseed oil. GE crops pose a very real threat to our food because, as living organisms, they can reproduce and spread and so once released they cannot be recalled. Their effects are irreversible. Concerns over genetically engineered (GE) food include unknown health risks, threats to biodiversity, contamination of conventional and organic crops, increase in pesticide and herbicide use, and control over our food by multinational chemical companies who legally own the patents on the technology. Look for foods labelled 'GMO free', 'GE-free', 'Not genetically modified', certified 'Organic' & 'Bio-dynamic' or items that are 'Product of Australia' (except food containing cottonseed & canola oil) Check the 'GM-Free Shopping List' for all brands guaranteed GM-free by their manufacturer (assurance they are not using GM ingredients anywhere in the food chain, including animal feed). Snapshot: What is genetically modified food, why is it controversial and how do I know if I’m eating it?

JBS and Cargill have both been criticised for clearing Amazon rainforest to produce soy for animal feed. Find out about your meat and its story, support local meat suppliers, source farm-gate produce.

Due to their young age and underdeveloped following instincts, there is often rough handling during transportation. The transportation process itself regularly has them exposed to the elements, despite being only days old. What you can do: Consider reducing or removing dairy from your diet. Check out Animals Australia for some tips on dairy alternatives. If you can't cut out dairy from your diet, choose products from companies with animal welfare on their agenda. Elgaar Farms or Barambah Organic are good examples. Learn more about the issue

Unfortunately, conflict minerals contribute to a great deal of human suffering. That is because they fund violence, torture, and death in wars in the regions they are extracted from. There is also a lack of labour regulation, meaning hazardous work conditions, child labour, and subpar wages plague mines in these conflict zones. Most conflict minerals are mined from Africa, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) being the most prevalent example. In countries like these, the government often has trouble regulating and monitoring the thousands of mines that litter the nation. This allows armed groups to control or extort the mines and their workers, with mining income directly funding the violence of many armed groups in the region. The situation also causes suffering as these groups fight each other for control over these mining sites. 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.

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.

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

FREE-RANGE EGGS In May 2016 a new national standard for free-range egg production was introduced, requiring the density of chickens outdoors must be no more than one hen per square metre (10,000 hens per hectare) and hens are to have "meaningful and regular" access to the outdoors. 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

However, these technologies can also bring a great deal of harm to people and society. Social networks have caused many to substitute meaningful connections for superficiality. The internet provides as much misinformation as it does knowledge. And video games have become an addiction for numerous people. Unfortunately, technology companies are rarely held accountable, with little action being taken to reduce these risks. However, there is a lot you can do to minimise the harm for you and your family. Some of the biggest negative impacts of these technologies are on physical and mental health. In 2018, the World Health Organisation (WHO) added gaming addiction to the International Classification of Diseases. Too much screen use takes people away from work, education, socialising, exercise, and other activities necessary for their wellbeing. In addition, social media sites like Instagram and TikTok can often distort people's views on how their lives and bodies should look. This can lead to body image issues and shame over one's lifestyle. Particularly for young people, social media and online video games expose users to cyberbullying, which is highly damaging to mental health. Another issue with these technologies is how the algorithms on many social media sites have been shown to push people towards extremist and harmful content. Examples include neo-nazi groups, extreme sexism, or conspiracies that encourage violence. Many of these issues are not inherent to these devices and services but depend on how they are used. As difficult as it can be, you get to choose how often and in what ways you engage with these technologies. It can help to reflect on what you genuinely enjoy doing on these devices and then limit yourself to these activities in healthy doses. Generally, activities which connect you with others and require your active input will be more fulfilling than those which are passive and solitary. It can also help to reflect on what things trigger unhealthy technology use and take extra care in these moments. If you know you overuse your phone before bed, for example, place it in a different room and read a book instead. One of the best things you can do is train yourself to stop and consider "is this what I really want to do right now?", every time you engage with these devices. What you can do: Limit your engagement with these devices to a healthy level. Set reminders to keep you aware of how long you are spending with these technologies, create "device-free" times throughout the day, and even delete the app or sell the product if necessary. Use these devices in ways you know will improve your wellbeing rather than damage it. For example, replace solitary and passive activities (scrolling your Instagram feed) with active and social actions (messaging friends and family). Write to politicians, sign petitions, and use your vote, to encourage greater regulation for these tech companies. To learn more, watch The Social Dilemma on Netflix and check out the Center for Humane Technology

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.

An estimated 19 million Australians drink coffee every day, with the industry bringing in $3.18 billion in revenue for 2020. But have you ever thought about the millions of people across the world whose livelihoods depend on coffee production? Unfortunately, many are unable to earn a reliable living wage. Volatile coffee bean prices, changing weather conditions, difficulties with disease, and a lack of bargaining power put significant pressure on farmers. This is compounded by a coffee bean price that has been declining for the last decade. In some cases, farmers earn less than one cent from a $3 cup of coffee! But if coffee is such a profitable product and growers live so poorly, where does all that money go? Well, most of the profits are pocketed by the roasters, which are overwhelmingly large multinational companies. 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.

The wearing of furs has long been practised by humans to protect themselves from their environment or enact cultural rituals and practices. However, in today's world, fur production has mostly devolved into cruelly exploiting animals for a fashion statement. For example, producers have to end up to 50 animal lives just to produce one mink fur coat! Luckily, consumers and designers are starting to wake up to the ethical issues. While many fashion labels have gone fur free, there is still work to be done. The majority of fur comes from animals raised on fur farms. On these farms, minks, foxes, rabbits, and many more are kept in tiny cages with little room for movement or normal functioning. The quality of life is very low in these cages. Animals often exhibit psychological distress and abnormal behaviours like self-mutilation, fur-chewing, and repetitive circling around the cage. The methods used to kill these animals are similarly cruel. They include gassing, anal electrocution, and suffocation. Can you really support an industry that puts millions of living beings through this every year? The other main way fur is collected is through trapping. Most of the time, this involves laying traps in the wild that immobilise the animal until hunters can come and collect them. Although practices and regulations vary, common traps include steel-jaw leg-hold traps, wire snare traps, and underwater traps. Traps that aren't intended to kill the animal will leave them in pain until they are killed by their injuries, environmental conditions, or a hunter. Even traps intended to kill are usually not instant and leave them in pain before dying, such as those which drown or suffocate the animal. Another problem is that traps risk injuring or killing animals other than the target, including domesticated dogs and cats. This causes needless suffering and death and can be traumatic for families if their animal companion is accidentally harmed. What you can do: Avoid buying products containing fur. Be careful, some clothing contains a fur trim or other feature despite looking fur-free. Learn how to spot the difference between real and fake fur. Boycott brands that use fur and support those that do not. Check Animals Australia's Fur Free Shopping List for retailers and designers with fur-free policies.

Labour exploitation occurs at both the extraction and manufacturing stages of production of electronic goods. Child and forced labour is known to occur in the extraction of minerals for electronic goods. Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) refers to mining conducted with low-tech machinery and physical labour. 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

Studies suggest nanotechnology ingredients in cosmetics pose serious health risks to the women wearing them. Nanoparticles are incredibly small, measured in nanometres (nm), or one-billionth of a meter. They are found in cosmetics, moisturisers, and some sunscreens, and are used to increase products' penetration into the skin. Concerns have been raised that if nanoparticles are absorbed into living skin cells, they could increase the risk of skin cancer. Testing commissioned by Friends of the Earth, found nanoparticles in foundations and concealers sold by 10 top name brands, including Christian Dior, Revlon, and Yves Saint Laurent. Only one of these, Christian Dior, labelled its use of nano ingredients. Companies are not legally required to test the safety of nanoparticles before using them in products, or to label their products as containing nano ingredients. More on nanotechnology in sunscreens Emerging Nanotechnologies - concerns overview

This means that more land needs to be cleared to meet the same demand, bringing its own environmental issues.  Buy directly from farmers who use organic methods, or subscribe to an organic box service that delivers organic food to your door at regular intervals. You can find farmers' markets and other organic retailers in your area with Local Harvest. Choose products that are certified organic or biodynamic under one of the following labels: ACO, BFA, NAASA, Demeter. Find out which fruits and vegetables expose you to the most and least pesticides so you'll know which ones to buy organic, and which conventionally grown ones are okay when organic isn't available.

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.

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.

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.

Tin is contained within the crust of the earth and extracting it involves clearing and ploughing land, or dredging the seabed. About one-third of the global tin supply comes from the Indonesian islands of Bangka and Belitung. Large-scale deforestation to make way for the mining threatens to leave up to half of Bangka's forests arid, and previously fertile ground and water aquifers have acidified. Purchase electronics goods from companies that are open about where they source tin from, acknowledge the damage tin extraction has caused in Indonesia, and support the introduction of sustainable mining practices. Friends of the Earth Netherlands has assessed major electronics companies based on their transparency and support for sustainable mining See Friends of the Earth's three part documentary: Mining for Smartphones

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

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.