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Shopping Scorecard

Get an honest sustainability assessment of any brand or product across five key dimensions.

How to tell if a brand is truly sustainable

Sustainability claims in retail are notoriously unreliable. A 2021 European Commission study found that 42% of green claims made online were exaggerated, false, or deceptive. The ECLA Shopping Scorecard cuts through greenwashing with a structured, multi-dimensional assessment.

The five dimensions

The scorecard evaluates brands and products across five dimensions:

  • Materials and ingredients — What are the products made from? Are raw materials certified (organic, FSC, Fairtrade, recycled)? What percentage is sustainable vs. conventional?
  • Carbon footprint and energy — Has the company measured and disclosed its Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions? Is there a credible, independently verified net-zero pathway? Are they a Science Based Targets signatory?
  • Labour and supply chain — Are workers paid fairly and working safely? Does the brand have an ethical trade policy, living wage commitment, or ETI membership?
  • Packaging — Is packaging minimal, recyclable, or compostable? Does the brand offer take-back or refill? What percentage is post-consumer recycled content?
  • End-of-life — Is the product designed for repair or longevity? Does the brand offer buy-back, recycling, or repair services?

What the score means

Scores run from 0–100. Above 70 indicates strong, verifiable sustainability credentials. 40–70 suggests genuine effort with room to improve. Below 40 suggests greenwashing or insufficient disclosure. No brand scores 100.

Certifications to trust — and to question

Most credible third-party certifications in the UK market:

  • B Corp — comprehensive, third-party verified, requires re-certification every 3 years
  • Soil Association Organic — strict standards for agriculture and personal care
  • FSC — forest products, globally recognised
  • Fairtrade — trade justice for farmers and workers in developing countries

Less meaningful: self-declared “eco” logos, vague carbon-neutral claims without specific methodology, and single-attribute certifications used to imply whole-product sustainability. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has been increasingly active in investigating green claims in the UK.

Related tools: Eco Swap · Carbon Footprint Estimator · Allergen-Free Finder