What is Good On You’s purpose?
Good On You was created to use the power of people’s choices to drive a sustainable future. We aim to make sustainable shopping easy for millions of people around the world by being the best, most trusted source for brand ratings, articles and expertise on ethical and sustainable fashion.
Good On You contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goal 12: “Ensure sustainable production and consumption patterns”. Our recognised and trusted brand rating system supports this global mission, leading the way towards a more sustainable and fair fashion industry.
Who runs Good On You?
Good On You was founded in Australia in 2015 by a group of campaigners, business professionals, sustainability experts and tech developers to make fashion fair and sustainable. Today we are a small but mighty team, spread all over the globe, who share a commitment to our purpose and vision for a better future.
Why is Good On You important?
Many of us want to make more ethical, sustainable choices when we shop. But it’s too hard to know the impact of brands on all the things we care about. There are thousands of products on the market, hundreds of sustainability issues, and there simply isn’t time for most consumers to do in-depth research on their purchases.
We know people care about working conditions, animal welfare and the environment, and we want to make it really easy for everyone’s shopping baskets to reflect their values.
Making sustainable choices doesn’t have to be a difficult challenge. Good On You makes it the easy option for millions of consumers around the globe.
How does Good On You make a difference?
Good On You harnesses the power of millions of shoppers who want to shop to their values. We create direct impact every time a user buys from a better rated brand.
When a critical mass of users turn towards brands that avoid harm, we create a movement for change.
Brands that don’t improve their practices will begin to feel it in their hip pocket and will be forced to change. And people around the globe will enjoy a fairer and more sustainable future.
How is Good On You funded?
Good On You is a social impact business that uses revenue from trading to drive social change at scale.
So far Good On You has been made possible by founder contributions, crowdfunding campaigns, grants and seed capital from social impact-driven investors.
Our ongoing income is derived from three main sources:
- We connect top-rated brands to our large community of conscious shoppers with special offers, feature articles, newsletter spotlights and social media posts. Where content is sponsored, this is disclosed to users.
- Some of our content contains affiliate marketing links. When you click on these links and visit an ethical brand’s online store, Good On You may receive a commission for any purchase you make.
Note that we only work with brands rated “Good” or “Great” using our transparent rating methodology described here. In this way we promote the good work of the very best ethical fashion labels, and encourage others to improve their practices.
- Since launching, we have developed a robust system to assess brands on the issues shoppers care about and a data set comprising thousands of brand ratings. We offer access to this data and expertise to retailers worldwide who are looking to assess, source and market sustainable brands.
Please email us for more information
How does Good On You rate brands?
In short, we aggregate all the relevant public information available from company websites, credible third party reports and certification schemes (like Fair Trade, Global Organic Textile Standard, Cradle to Cradle and many more).
We consult regularly with industry experts to keep our rating methodology up to date. Our ratings consider 100s of sustainability issues to give a fair and comprehensive assessment of a brand’s impact on people, the planet and animals.
Ethical shoppers demand transparency and we’re here to reward brands that are meeting consumer demands.
For detailed information on our brand ratings, please see How We Rate.
Why does brand transparency matter?
Good On You’s use of public data to rate brands goes to the very core of our purpose to empower people’s shopping choices.
Brands should publish information about their supply chain and direct operations to increase accountability and drive improved outcomes for people, the planet and animals. Consumers have a right to know how a brand impacts on the issues they care about.
Good On You ratings consider information that has been published by brands as well as the industry’s leading indices, certifications and standards. We give greater weight to data that has been independently assured and couple this with indicators of sustainability performance, such as progress against targets.
Do Good On You ratings consider known hotspots of human rights abuse?
Yes, Good On You ratings penalise brands that source materials from, and manufacture products in places where there is a high risk of forced labour. This includes Xinjiang, China where the forced labour of the ethnic Uighurs and other Muslim groups is of grave concern as well as Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan where modern slavery in the cotton industry is also prevalent.
We also consider whether brands have been involved in any specific instances of human rights abuse in the past 3 years. We look at the extent to which the brand has taken action to remediate the problem including compensating the victims and taking steps to avoid future instances.
Good On You ratings consider 100s of issues and it is not possible to list every relevant issue in a summary of the brand’s performance. You can find out more about how we rate, here.
How does Good On You address the impact of COVID-19?
The global pandemic has had a significant impact on fashion, in particular for suppliers who are increasingly squeezed by brands and their vulnerable workers who risk widespread hardship. Good On You updated how it rates fashion brands to take account of how they are responding to the Covid-19 crisis. In particular we now reward brands that have policies to protect vulnerable workers in their supply chains from the fallout from Covid-19, and penalise those who don’t.
How does Good On You address racism and inequality?
Good On You is committed to practicing inclusion and anti-racism publicly and internally as part of our mission to make fashion ethical and sustainable for all. We are always listening, learning and evolving to ensure we respond to issues of system inequality and racism in an authentic and meaningful way. We are working to rate more BIPOC-owned brands and we are looking at ways to further consider issues of racial justice in our ratings. You can find out more about our diversity policy here.
How does Good On You collaborate with brands and retailers?
Good On You works with the best-rated brands to help them promote their positive stories. We offer content and affiliate marketing services for brands that want to reach the Good On You community. We only work with brands rated ‘Good’ and ‘Great’.
If you are a sustainable brand that would like to be listed on Good On You please first review our ‘How We Rate‘ page, and if you wish to proceed use this form to start the rating process.
Good On You helps fashion retailers and platforms understand the impact of brands, and empower their customers to buy better. We provide data-driven tools for businesses to assess, source, and promote sustainable brands.
Please contact us if you’re keen to collaborate.
How many brands has Good On You rated?
The Good On You app includes ethical brand ratings for over 5,000 brands, including mainstream fashion labels and smaller, more ethical and sustainable brands.
Our ultimate aim is to rate any brand that you can find! So we are always adding more brand ratings as fast as we can.
How does Good On You decide which brands to rate?
We aim to rate every brand that Good On You users want to know about. We’ve started with hundreds of major mainstream brands and hundreds of smaller ethical brands.
If you have a suggestion for a brand to rate please use the free Good On You app to let us know.
Why isn’t my favorite brand listed yet?
Good On You is a fast growing service. We are adding more and more brands each week! If you would like to suggest a brand for us to investigate, please use the ‘suggest’ function on the free Good On You app available in the App Store and on Google Play.
How do I use Good On You to find the best ethical brands and items suited to me?
You can find ethical brands on the Good On You app and website by name or by product category (shoes, jeans, dresses etc).
When you search a brand, Good On You suggests alternative options that are similar in style and price but have a higher ethical rating.
You can search for the best brands in a category like dresses, jeans or shoes, and then refine your search to limit it to brands in a certain price bracket, that make clothes for kids, men or women, that do or don’t sell online, that offer plus sizes etc.
You can also discover new, ethical brands through our curated content on topics like brands that empower women or brands that are made in your country.
How can I share the app with my friends?
You can share a brand listing or article from with the app (top right of the screen) or you can send them this link.
In which countries is Good On You available?
Good On You brand ratings are available globally via the Good On You app for iOS and Android and the Good On You Brand Directory.
How ethical are vintage, second hand and rental clothing options?
The amount of clothing purchased globally has doubled from 50 billion items to 100 billion items in the last 15 years with so much of it discarded after a few wears. An average consumer in the UK throws away 70 pounds (31.75 kilograms) of clothing per year!
Finding ways to get more use out of each piece of clothing is essential to reduce the impact of our fashion choices on the planet. Circular Fashion argues that we need to transform the way clothes are designed, sold and used to break free from their increasingly disposable nature. It’s important that brands ethically produce clothing that is durable and can be recycled or upcycled.
In our globalised world dominated by fast fashion giants, buying vintage and second hand provides a refreshing, more sustainable way to shop. It allows us to add items to our wardrobe without using additional resources in the manufacturing process, to keep clothes out of landfills, to slow down the fast fashion cycle and the relentless demands on low-paid workers in the supply chain and to discover unique and special pieces along the way. Learn more about second hand shopping with our guide on where to buy second hand clothing to help you find your next vintage treasure in person or online.
At Good On You, we help you discover and support our favourite ethical and sustainable fashion, but we also recommend buying second hand, either from your local second hand shops or from apps and websites like Depop, Farfetch (who now has a “Pre-Owned” section) or Vestiaire Collective, where you can find some amazing pieces in mint condition!
We also recognise that without care and consideration, second hand and rental businesses can create their own problems. In the second hand market, only a small percentage of donated clothing is of sufficient quality to be re-sold, with cheap fast fashion less likely to survive the sorting process. Developing countries are inundated with unwanted clothes, so much so that some countries such as Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda have banned, or are considering banning, used clothing turning up on their doorstep. The excess clothing problem is outsourced to countries with less capacity to deal with it and can often destroy the local clothing industry.
In the case of rental marketplaces featuring ‘on-trend’ brands, styles still become obsolete alarmingly quickly, contributing to the problem of excess textile waste.
With these issues in mind, Good On You does not provide ratings for second hand and rental clothing businesses, but we will consider a brand’s adoption of circular fashion principles as part of our brand rating methodology. See here for more information on our ratings.
Why do some fast fashion brands get an ‘It’s A Start’ rating on Good On You?
The Good On You rating system takes into account a brand’s public commitments and initiatives about how they are protecting people, planet and animals. A number of the largest fashion brands have taken notice of the millions of people who have been calling for change, and have introduced various schemes such as increased use of eco-friendly materials in-store recycling, sustainable collections and vegan products. Others have joined global alliances and set ambitious targets to reduce the impact of supply chains. This is reflected in the brand’s rating as a matter of fairness and transparency.
Despite evidence of progress, Good On You recognises that the fast fashion business model is not sustainable, and cheap, mass-produced clothing that’s designed to quickly become obsolete is inherently damaging. This too is reflected in a brand’s rating.
Ultimately Good On You aims to drive industry change by empowering shoppers with information they need to choose better. We want to celebrate those brands that are showing meaningful progress and encourage the rest to improve. Good On You only partners with and promotes brands rated ‘Good’ or ‘Great’.
Will you rate brands in other product categories like cosmetics, homewares or services?
In the future we plan to include other consumer product categories like cosmetics and personal care items, homewares and electronics, based on requests from users.
How can I get involved to help empower consumers to change the world as they shop?
Spread the word – The more people we can get using Good On You, the more impact we can create together! Send your friends this link to download the app, or this one for our web brand Directory.
Tell us what you think – Vote for brands you want to see rated that are not already on the app, make suggestions for new ways to help shoppers find ethical and sustainable options, give feedback.
Why does the Good On You app ask for my location?
Giving permission to know your location is optional. If location services are turned on, then the app can provide you with information about brands that are available for purchase near you.
Once you have found a brand you are happy with, the app lists the closest retailers, including online retailers. And if you are looking at a brand that does not perform well on the issues you care about, then the app can suggest alternative brands that are available near you.
I have information about how a brand is performing on its labor, environmental or animal protection policies. Where can I send it?
Good On You aggregates publicly available information, including relevant research undertaken by civil society organisations, unions, academics and journalists. If you become aware of public information that we don’t seem to have included please contact us.
I have a different question. How do I get in touch?
We’d love to respond to your question, feedback or suggestion.
If you are a sustainable brand that would like to be listed on Good On You please first review our ‘How We Rate‘ page, and if you wish to proceed use this form to start the rating process.
