Ratings
The Good Shopping Guide
The Good Shopping Guide is an independent ethical rating scheme that has compared brands since 2001. Instead of a single pass/fail standard, it audits the biggest brands in each sector and places them in Ethical Ratings Tables, so shoppers can compare competitors side by side.
What the rating looks at
- Environment — reporting, fossil fuels, GM, organic sourcing, palm oil, toxic chemicals
- Animals — animal welfare & testing, vegetarian/vegan verification, sustainable fishing
- People — human rights, supplier codes of conduct, Fairtrade, conflict minerals
- Other — public-record criticisms and overall accreditation
A distinctive feature: they also research the parent company behind a brand, so an ethical-looking product can score poorly if its owner acts unethically elsewhere.
How the scoring works
Each criterion earns a top, middle or bottom rating (generally 10, 5 or 0 points; some weighted more heavily). The total becomes a percentage GSG Score. Higher scorers sit in the green section, low scorers in the red section. Green-section brands can then apply for the guide’s Ethical Accreditation logo.
How to read it
A high score or green rating means a brand performs well relative to its sector peers, not against a fixed universal benchmark. Much of it is based on publicly available information and published policies, so a middle rating can simply mean no policy or evidence was found, rather than proven bad practice. Note the difference between a brand that is merely rated (positive or negative) and one that actively holds the Ethical Accreditation mark, which top-scoring brands apply for.
Bottom line: a broad, comparative ethical benchmark covering environment, animals and people. Treat it as a useful reputational signal that reflects relative performance and available evidence — not an audited guarantee about every product.
