Virtual storefronts are minefields of dubious labor and environmental practices. You may not know of a guilt-free brand to support off the bat as you’re looking for dress shirts or kitchen products (though looking for goods with a lifetime guarantee is a good start toward assuaging some of those environmental concerns), but a new Chrome extension called DoneGood is here to help you safely navigate to the checkout. It recommends ethical companies to shop with when you’re searching for products online, according to Co.Exist.
Download the Chrome extension for your browser, and when you Google things like “baby products,” the results will either come up with a “DoneGood Approved” checkmark or a suggested alternative. It works when you visit specific retail websites, too. For instance, if you’re looking at the Brooks Brothers website, you’ll see something like this:
And if you’re digging through Amazon listings, you’ll get brand recommendations to help you pick an ethical product. (Though buying from Amazon comes with its own ethical quandaries.) The extension will also show you discount codes, which may come in handy since ethically made goods can understandably have steeper price tags than sweatshop products.
DoneGood bases its approval on a plethora of feel-good characteristics about a brand, from environmental efforts to cruelty-free or made-in-the-USA guarantees to whether they “support diversity.” Compared to big companies, DoneGood says its picks are “cool people making stuff built-to-last,” “using natural materials and ingredients,” “paying their employees well,” and “preserving the planet.” It uses established criteria like Fair Trade certified or certified B Corps (meaning the company is a for-profit but meets certain sustainability standards) and independent research to find its featured brands.
You can download the Chrome extension or use the associated iOS app.
[h/t Co.Exist]
November 29, 2016 – 5:30pm