What brands/products do you avoid and why?

[BellyBelly]

Share with us the brands and products you avoid and why.

[Roryrory]

Anything with ridiculous packaging - so no dippity bix, indiviually wrapped cakes, multi packs of chips, and so on. Also I avoid things that are inherently aimed at a consumer-driven, fast paced society - pre-cooked rice for example.

[luna moth]

I'd love to say I avoid anything with more than 4 ingredients in the list, but that hasn't been true since I discovered vegan Gingernut biscuits Yes, I should make my own.

I avoid:
Flavour Enhancer number anything (allergy)
Palm oil (habitat destruction)
Animal Products (environmental costs)
Nestle (partly because everything they sell has animal products, also because of the story i posted in brontide's boo hoo thread)

[LimeSlice]

Not sure as there are a few threads going related at the moment, but there was a VERY interesting Question Time in the Senate over the last week about Food Labelling Laws and the requirements to use the phrases "Australian Owned" and "Australian Made"

Will find the transcripts and post here - I was alarmed to say the least at what the minimum requirements are to actually put that on your label...

For example - a company can put "australian owned" on a product, even if all of its manufacturing and produce comes from OS...And only 50% of the product needs to be grown and/or processed in Australia to warrant an "Australian Made" label...

[Nelle]

Aieee Lime!

For me it's partly about avoiding products, and also going for what I see to be positive (even in part) products. And it gets compromised by budget sometimes.

I try to avoid Nestle owned products, because I'm passionately against their unethical practices.

I try to avoid cage eggs.

I try to go for fair trade products, like chocolate, tea and clothes.

I try to support Australian business, particularly local where I can afford to.

My personal choices tend to favour fair trade stuff first of all, I'm into humanity before I'm into the environment.

[Phteven]

Nelle, fair trade stuff tends to favour the environment as well as humanity. So often people are forced to trash their environments to meet the demands of mono-cropping although they would prefer to farm in more sustainable ways. By paying people a fair price we reduce that pressure.

[christy]

Whew its hard to narrow down for us...

We don't buy Nestle, J & J, or Proctor & Gamble products.

We have multiple food allergies and some intolerances so we have to avoid all dairy, some chemicals and preservatives.

We have our own chickens because I can't stand eggs that I don't know where they have come from.

I buy my meat from a butcher who can tell me where the cow or chicken was before it came to them & the conditions the animals lived in. I will not eat meat from a caged animal.

[Inanna]

Awww I love these threads! As you all know...

Well as above... I also reject cleaners that are single use. I buy in bulk and make it up in spray bottles... It's all toxic free...

I have stopped buying grated cheese as I use veg rennet only and that is impossible with the grated version AND it's extra plastic.

All household products are toxic free (shampoos, deodorants, toothpastes, soaps, powders, cleaners, dishwashing powder etc etc...

I buy fair trade tea and coffee.

I buy organic locally farmed where possible.

I support organic dairy farming. (except for cheese - I buy Nimbin cheese and have had for about 10years )

I buy fair trade bits and bobs for my home and body where possible...

I had a big talk with my kids tonight. Just because I have been unwell DH has been doing the shopping. He has no interest in ethical shopping so the kids (not Immy) have been eating yoplait and packaged bikkies and Lord knows what else...
Anyway I looked on the yoplait label and showed them all the numbers and additives. Then I showed them the organic yoghurt that I had bought. They agreed that the yogurt tasted much better... They also agreed that yoplait had lots of stuff that they couldn't identify as food...

It was an excellent tool. They then went to the fridge and the pure maple syrup I buy as opposed to the Maple flavoured syrup their Dad buys... They were shocked. So they began looking at shampoo etc and googling.

It was so amazing to watch the story unfold - but they did all the research!

I talked about clothing and how it's made and what conditions folk are enduring etc etc...

I talked about the Earth and honouring it by putting our money toward ethical purchases. They agreed it was better to eat less yoghurt and more fruit at night to make the $7 per kilo tub spread further... !!! They came to that alone. I felt so proud of them!

This is a wonderful thread and I will come back tomorrow to add more!

[Madissun]

Wow...I had no idea about Nestle Can anyone tell me more?

[Epacris]

I would NEVER buy imported seafood, especially anything from Asia. The fungicide they use (malachite green) in those fish farms over there is scary!

[christy]

I forgot that one FC thanks for reminding me!

I don't buy chemicals for the house. I clean with vinegar and bi-carb soda. I wash our clothes in Aware (1 tablespoon per load) or just plain bicarb and vinegar in the rinse. I wash our dishes using seventh generation eco products and ... you guessed it bicarb and I put lemon juice in the rinse cycle. I use a steam mop on the floors and we do not have any cleaning chemicals in the house at all.

[Shanti]

I don't buy J & J products. ( no way! )
I don't buy Nestle products as I read about how they endorse the use of formula to poor countries etc hence women over there aren't BF'ing and instead buying formula.

I stay away from Aspartame (diet drinks)

I try and buy Australian Made even if it means I pay more.

I always buy enviro cleaners over nasty chemical cleaners!!

Um there is heaps more but I can't think of them right now.....

[Laranna]

Household cleaning chemicals (bicarb and vinegar all the way!). I use Aware Sensitive to wash the clothes.
Diet drinks (aspartame eww!)
Cage eggs
Yoghurts apart from Jalna

[christy]

We only drink water and rice milk in our house.... oh yeah ... coffee.... better check that out.

[sista]

I don't buy J & J products. ( no way! )
I don't buy Nestle products as I read about how they endorse the use of formula to poor countries etc hence women over there aren't BF'ing and instead buying formula.

I stay away from Aspartame (diet drinks)

I try and buy Australian Made even if it means I pay more.

I always buy enviro cleaners over nasty chemical cleaners!!

Um there is heaps more but I can't think of them right now.....

I'm pretty much the same - well and truly making an effort to avoid Nestle!

Never buy soda drinks, I buy Australian made as much as possible, tho I've seen the odd American creep in.

The only thing I wish I could avoid is Domestos, I can't handle the smell, it makes me sick but its the one thing that I can't seem to keep out of the trolley, speaking of which is hardly ever full as I try to buy my stuff from the local smaller shops.

[sista]

I would NEVER buy imported seafood, especially anything from Asia. The fungicide they use (malachite green) in those fish farms over there is scary!

Yes! But how do we know for sure that just because the "Product of Australia" sign is there its really from Australian waters?

[Bathsheba]

I am strictest about avoiding Coca Cola products, this company has contributed to so much disease (including conributing to obesity) in the world it's frightening.

Actually I am even more strict about not buying red meat but that's not just for ethical reasons, it's personal as well so it probably doesn't count in this thread. But having lived on a road that included a cattle feed lot if i did eat red meat it would NOT be the supermarket variety.

I don't buy johnson & johnson products. Don't trust their chemical ****tails.

I try to avoid buying supermarket soap and shampoo... also too many harmful chemicals. I mainly now buy only MooGoo and MiEssence.

I try to avoid Nestle products but after reading the list of companies they own or part own this is proving to be hard. But i will be consciously looking for alternatives.

I avoid buying multi-packs within a pack eg bags of chips within a big bag... ridiculously wasteful packaging.

I buy toys that last ie Lego in preference to cheaper and breakable toys (the worst ones tend to be the cartoon character licenced toys). A toy that breaks after only a few uses is unsafe and such a waste of resources.

I buy from Op Shops not just because it's cheaper but when i do this it reduces 'demand' for new products and thus saving the worlds resources.

We avoid buying too much petrol. DH and I use a lot of public transport. Our car is often not driven on a weekday... generally only on the weekend. I have never used a petrol pump.

[Karina]

We dont buy Nestle products (whihc can be hard because Nestle owns so many other companies...)

I only get free range eggs, I never buy cage eggs. Same goes for chicken, I always buy the free range chicken (Lilydale brand), never the caged chicken meat.

I dont buy products that have heaps of packaging.

I never buy soft drinks. So bad for you.

I buy the environmentally friendly cleaning products, or sometimes I make my own with vinegar, lemon juice etc

I buy organic fruit and veggies from a family owned green grocer (rather than a big chain).

I buy fair trade coffee (for hubby - i HATE coffee) and fair trade chocolate.

I buy presents and books from shops like Oxfam because of the whole fair trade thing they have going.