Shopping is difficult when you have strict convictions about what you consider important in
a product. Perhaps you worry that it will have been tainted by slavery in the supply chain, or
you are adamant that you want to avoid anything that might have been tested on animals
and you’re not sure which brands are or aren’t.
Buycott will let you check for this. Buycott is an app and Google Chrome add-on which will
check the product you’re thinking of buying to see if it aligns with the ethical beliefs that
you stand for. You can load it onto your mobile phone to check products when you’re out,
or use it when shopping online on websites. You will need to be logged in and to select a
particular campaign before using.
Using the app is super simple – you can simply load up the app, scan the barcode of the item
you’re interested in buying, and it will let you know if it works for you. Before scanning you
can pick a number of campaigns which have been put together by other users – some
examples would be making sure that you are buying slavery-free chocolate, or animal-
friendly products. Some of the campaigns are even political, letting you choose to buy
products which aren’t related to Trump companies, for example. There is a huge range of
campaigns and so you can pick whichever you like.
The way this app works for allowing you as a consumer to pick items which align with your
views – you can vote with your wallet. It was launched with the aim of encouraging
Corporate Social Responsibility and to make ethical shopping a lot easier. In a small way,
you can yourself make a difference by supporting the brands which are ethically sound – or
which simply help you live the sustainable or ethical life you want to live.
