We’ve all heard it before: you vote with your dollars. Every purchase you make is a vote for the type of world you want to live in: one run by corporations who use toxic chemicals and unethical labor practices, OR one run by people who use their purchasing power to support ethical businesses. There are a lot of companies out there that most of us already know are bad, but we might not know why, or exactly how bad. And when brands own a wide variety of products under different names, it can be difficult to tell when a well-known unethical brand is masquerading under a name that is less familiar. So, I did some research on some of the worst brands in the United States, and I chose five that I can reasonably commit to boycotting once and for all.
1. Kraft
Apart from oil companies, Kraft is consistently rated the worst company in the US.
What makes it so evil?
- One of the companies that spends the most money on government lobbying in order serve their own interests
- Multinational Monitor’s (MM) “Worst Corporation” list for five years
- Greenwash Award for public deception
- Named global climate change laggard
Which products should be avoided?
Jell-O, Cool Whip, Philadelphia cream cheese, Oscar Meyer, Claussen pickles, Capri Sun, Gevalia, Maxwell House, Planters, Mio, and more.
2. Walmart
You knew it was coming. Even though this one is obvious, it definitely deserves to be on this list.
What makes it so evil?
- MM’s worst corporation list for three years
- Recipient of major toxic waste dumping fines
- Council on Economic Priorities (CEP) “F” rating for overall social responsibility
- Documented exploitation of child labor
3. Pfizer
What makes it so evil?
- One of the Political Economy Research Institute’s (PERI) 100 Most Toxic Water Polluters
- #17 on the list of “Top 100 Corporate Criminals”
- MM’s “Worst Corporation” list for 4 years
- Paid millions to Washington lobbyists
Which products should be avoided?
Chapstick, Advil, Robitussin, Dimetapp
4. Nestle
What makes it so evil?
- Baby formula human rights boycott
- “Most irresponsible” corporation award
- Involved in child slavery lawsuit
- Aggressive takeovers of family farms
Which products should be avoided?
Nescafe, Nespresso, Coffee-Mate, Gerber, Toll House, KitKat, Hot Pockets, Digiorno, Stouffer’s, Dreyer’s, Haagen-Dasz, Purina, and more.
5. Fast Fashion
What makes it so evil?
- Only two percent of apparel companies use suppliers who pay a living wage
- Garment dyeing with toxic chemicals is the second largest water polluter worldwide
- Harmful pesticides are used to grow the cotton
- Fabrics like polyester shed plastic microfibers that get into the water supply and work their way up the food chain
- Clothes end up in landfills, where synthetic fibers take decades to decompose
Which brands should be avoided?
Okay…this is a lot more than one brand, but it’s a conglomeration of brands like Forever 21, H&M, Zara, and many others that truly wreaking havoc on the planet. Basically if the price of the clothes seems to good to be true, it probably is.
Sources:
The Better World Handbook: Small Changes that Make a Big Difference, by Ellis Jones, Ross Haenfler and Brett Johnson
https://www.peri.umass.edu/top-100-polluter-indexes
The Better Planet Project 