Resources

We aren’t the only ones looking for honest, ecological and fair offers. Here are other guides, comparison sites, label databases, networks and maps. Most of the sites listed under a country are in that country’s language.

Across countries

Food

• Open Food Facts: an open database of food products.

Clothing

• Good On You: ratings of fashion brands.

Digital

• switching.software: ethical alternatives to well-known software.
• European Alternatives: European alternatives to digital services.
• Green Web Foundation: checks whether a website runs on green hosting.
• AlternativeTo: alternatives to software, with no ecological focus.

Germany

Guides and tests

• Utopia: guides and best-of lists for sustainable shopping.
• UBA Umwelttipps: everyday environmental advice from the German Environment Agency.
• RESET: background and solutions for living sustainably.
• Stiftung Warentest: independent product tests.
• Öko-Test: independent product tests with a focus on health and the environment.

Labels

• Siegelklarheit: ratings of sustainability labels.
• Label-online: a label database from the consumer association Verbraucher Initiative.
• Grüner Strom Label: a certificate for green electricity suppliers.

Food

• Solidarische Landwirtschaft: the network of community-supported farms, with a farm search.
• foodsharing: saving surplus food and sharing it.

Money

• Fair Finance Guide: rates banks on sustainability.

Digital

• Digitalcourage: guides to digital self-defence.

Repair

• Netzwerk Reparatur-Initiativen: repair places across Germany.

Maps

• Karte von morgen: a map of sustainable initiatives and businesses.

France

Guides and tests

• UFC-Que Choisir: independent product tests.
• 60 Millions de consommateurs: the magazine of the state consumer institute.
• Mes Courses pour la Planète: a guide to responsible shopping and labels.
• Agir pour la transition: advice for households from ADEME, the French environment agency.
• Impact CO2: compares the carbon footprint of everyday products and activities, also from ADEME.

Repair and waste

• Épargnons nos ressources: ADEME’s site on repairing, buying second-hand and giving things away.
• HOP: campaigns against planned obsolescence.
• Zero Waste France: reducing waste.

Food

• MIRAMAP: the network of AMAPs, French community-supported farming.
• La Ruche qui dit Oui !: local food bought directly from producers.
• Yuka: an app that rates food and cosmetics.

Clothing

• Clear Fashion: an app that rates fashion brands.

Energy

• Greenpeace guide to green electricity: a ranking of electricity suppliers.

Digital

• Framasoft: free software alternatives to Google’s services.
• CHATONS: a collective of ethical, local providers of online services.

Maps

• Transiscope: a map of alternatives in France.
• Près de chez nous: a map of local alternatives from the Colibris movement.

United Kingdom

• Ethical Consumer: ethical ratings of brands and products, from a non-profit co-operative.
• CSA Network UK: the network of community-supported farms, with a map to find one.
• BigBarn: a map of local food producers and shops.
• The Restart Project: a social enterprise for repairing electronics, with repair events and repair options.

Austria

• Bewusst Kaufen: guides, tips and explanations of labels for sustainable shopping.
• Die Umweltberatung: advice on the environment in everyday life, such as waste and repair.
• KONSUMENT: the test magazine of the consumer association VKI.
• Reparaturnetzwerk: find repair professionals in Vienna by product and postcode.

Switzerland

• Labelinfo.ch: compares and rates sustainability labels on the Swiss market.
• Topten: a guide to the most energy-efficient products.
• Reparaturführer: a map of repair businesses.
• Repair Café: find repair cafés in Switzerland.
• Solawi: the coordination office for community-supported farming, with advice and training.

United States

• Consumer Reports: independent product tests and ratings from a non-profit.
• LocalHarvest: a map of farmers markets, family farms, CSAs and farm stands.
• ENERGY STAR: the US Environmental Protection Agency’s label for energy-efficient products.
• Fixit Clinic: repair workshops where neighbours help each other fix things.
• Seafood Watch: the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s ratings of fish and seafood, from “Best Choice” to “Avoid”.
• Safer Choice: the US Environmental Protection Agency’s label for cleaning and household products made with safer ingredients.

Canada

• Protégez-Vous: product tests and consumer advice from Quebec, in French.
• Fermier de famille: the Quebec network of organic family farms, with vegetable baskets.
• ENERGY STAR Canada: Natural Resources Canada’s guide to energy-efficient products.
• Fairtrade Canada: the Fairtrade label in Canada.
• Équiterre: a Montreal environmental non-profit, which started the Quebec network of organic family farms.
• RECYC-QUÉBEC: the Quebec agency for reducing and recycling waste, with “Ça va où?” to find what to do with each material.
• Farmers’ Markets Ontario: the association of Ontario’s farmers’ markets, with a search to find one.