Which companies to boycott and why?

[Mystic]

Well done feline - I am glad you are brave enough to do that. Activism isn't "my style", but anyone who does it tastefully is to be admired.

[Cal]

The family that protests together...can maybe make a difference??? :p
Good stuff feline and co. :) I'm sure your family will make a great impression on people and good luck to you all. :)

[sylkan]

Well done feline - I am glad you are brave enough to do that. Activism isn't "my style", but anyone who does it tastefully is to be admired.

I used to think that until I participated in a series of guerrilla plays protesting the WTO before seattle. What a blast! To think so much fun is to be had working for all that is good. We put on the plays in the malls and had the fun of encorporating the nice, yet forceful security people into the plays as they herded us out.

ahh, the memories...

[Ben009]

"www.boycotttesco.com have some interesting info on Radio Frequency IDentification."

I`m not sure I see the problem with this. That website seems to have taken a usefull technology out of context with attempt to alarm people. Almost all shops will tag items, so if they leave the store without being de-activated (IE someone is trying to steel the item) the chips will set off the alarms at the doors.

The intention of such devices are not usually to "spy on" customers, but in the long term they could be used to remove the need for checkouts. If every item you buy has a tag then as you pass out of the shop, all the items in your bag will be scanned and the total cost can be paid for automatically by card. Certainly would speed up the shopping process!

The way most shops spy on customers is via the use of clubcards - every time you use your clubcard everything you have bought is recorded electronically and added to a database. This is how tesco and others allocate you offers depending on what you buy.

Ben.

[feline01]

We're back from our first family protest and it was great. Beautiful, sunny spring day. My husband made a great sign for our table and for the stroller and we taped some of the anti Proctor & Gamble literature onto the stroller. We gave away everything we had including flyers on Tofu: What is it and What to Do with IT? and a great veggy starter kit with graphic images and descriptions of factory farming. Different ages took the material from about 12 to 60. I would definitely table again. Several people even offered to give us money but we told them to mail it directly to the group's office, we weren't soliciting donations. Even Darth Vadar took a Cruelty-Free shopping guide, seriously, there was someone outside dressed like Darth Vadar and Chris approached him with the shopping guide telling Darth that he has a reputation for being cruel but maybe he'd like to change. He took the guide and was reading it :D .

I'll post a link to some photos as soon as they are downloaded. :D

[kriz]

Good work, Feline!! It's great that you're a family doing this. People are probably impressed seeing VEGAN toddlers. :)

[kriz]

I'm too shy to leaflet, unfortunately, but I have several copies of Peacable Kingdom, Meet your Meat and the Witness which I lend out freely to friends and anyone interested. :)

[feline01]

I'm too shy to leaflet
I wouldn't say I'm shy as much as self-conscious (about my weight) but I guess I had a higher-calling :) . Seriously, it wasn't as bad as I thought. Some people gave us evil stares, some gave us the NYC look which is pretending we don't exist but many others either smiled or stopped to talk. Of course, I was stumbling over my words because I really didn't know what to say, didn't prepare enough, but it really went well.

[Happiness]

Great job Feline!! I can only hope to have a family like that someday. :) Its so wonderful to see the shared passion. I'm working hard to become involved here in my small community. Myself and a couple other students have put together a farmers market that focuses on substainable living and that will be happening on the 24th. Wish me luck this is my first time out in public promoting vegan views! I'm excited!

[Mozbee]

Good luck Happiness, it's not as scary as you think. Let us know how it goes.

[Cal]

Yes, loads of luck, Happiness. :)

[Roxy]

Great news Feline, that it all went so well! :D

Good luck too, Happiness!

[Cal]

I'll post a link to some photos as soon as they are downloaded. :D
Well done feline and family. :) Looking forward to the photos. :)

[Mozbee]

Me, VeganMan and the vegan twins will be doing our first leafletting (against Proctor & Gamble) at our local, huge supermarket on May 21st. We will be handing out pamphlets on why Proctor & Gamble are so horrible and also providing Cruelty Free Shopping Guides. I'm nervous and excited, I never leafletted before, none of us have. The family that protests together...can maybe make a difference??? :p

Stick together and let them know they can't pull the cotton over our eyes! What a great Vegan Team :D

[Mozbee]

This is what P&G are trying to sell to Jo Public at present.IAMS (http://www.iamstruth.com)
They sent me a letter, mentioning "enhanced" enclosures - very dodgy me thinks! :(

[Glen]

Just been reading a boycotts list, unilever was a company cited. I found this on there website...

Oh and by the way, Unilever incorporates the following brands: Axe, Flora, Bertolli, Cif, Comfort, Domestos, Dove, Hellmans, Walls, Findus, Birdseye, Lipton, Lux, Signal, Slim-fast, Sunsilk and surf.


Reducing animal testing
It has been Unilever policy to reduce, refine and replace animal testing by substituting alternative methods for over 20 years. The vast majority of Unilever products have in the past and will in the future reach the consumer without any testing of any material on animals.

Alternatives to animal testing
Unilever is heavily involved in assessing new methods for health and safety testing. To this end we support a vigorous programme seeking suitable non-animal alternatives. Over 100 papers have been published in the last five years in the peer-reviewed scientific literature so that our progress can be seen and others may benefit from our work. Unilever collaborates with other companies and plays a leading role with trade associations and government bodies seeking to develop alternatives testing methods.

Being accountable
Until such time as we can be sure that human and environmental safety will not be prejudiced, Unilever will have to do a minimum amount of animal testing. However, we will be a vigorous driver for developing and applying alternative methods. A consequence of our policy is that we are always prepared to explain our position, concerns and approach. Thus by being open we are able to serve the cause of minimising and finally eliminating animal testing.


How many people here boycott all of these brands? What do you think of their animal rights policy?

Glen :)

[coconut]

Uh oh :eek: I bought a bag of Birdseye frozen peas the other day! Never again. I don't buy stuff from any of those other subsidiaries. Before I went vegan I think I bought pasta sauces and stuff from Bertolli, if that's the company I'm thinking of. Cheers for the list though Glen, it's handy to have.

I don't believe a word of their animal welfare policy. They're just another corporation trying to gloss over their crimes, just as the public is starting to become aware of the senselesness of vivisecion.

[feline01]

Great job Feline!! I can only hope to have a family like that someday. :) Its so wonderful to see the shared passion. I'm working hard to become involved here in my small community. Myself and a couple other students have put together a farmers market that focuses on substainable living and that will be happening on the 24th. Wish me luck this is my first time out in public promoting vegan views! I'm excited!

Good luck Happiness, farmer's market are becoming more and more popular so hopefully, you'll really get some attention!!

[tails4wagging]

Full marks for them for at least trying to find alternatives, until they do, I will continue to boycott Unilever.

[cedarblue]

dont they also own iams pet food? i boycott that too!

[Mozbee]

On the subject of boycotts I feel like boycotting most Canadian & Australian companies for the kangaroos and seals sakes.
What does everyone else here think?

[Glen]

Having done ethics in my Business A-level and having general common sense (lol), I would imagine that Unilever's attempts and research into cruelty-free testing are only happening so they can be seen to be doing the wrong thing. I highly doubt the directors care much about anything but profit; as with many businesses. I will start boycotting unilever from now on.

Not sure if Iams are owned by Unilever, but we don't buy Iams anyway.

Glen x

[Roxy]

Cedar, I'm pretty sure that Iams are owned by Proctor and Gamble. But keep boycotting because P & G are a very unethical company, as we know all to well!!

Well, it's good that Unilever are minimalising their animal testing! Unfortunately though, they are still conducting some such testing, and I feel that we should continue to boycott their products until such time as the animal testing is completely 100% eliminated!

[Roxy]

I am an Australian living in Canada so that would be a bit hard for me.

[Mozbee]

Yes, I only asked Roxy as this was my gut reaction. I found out c/o Viva! & Respect4Animals, I was horrified. Trouble is most countries are up to some form of abuse. :confused:

It's all so sad.

Although I'm from the UK, I can't stand the advertising slant of 'Best Of British' which is pushed at us, but then atleast there's less travel pollution! :D

Mozbee :)