EPO for Consumers
What does the EPO mean for Consumers?
The EPO is a not-for-profit organic directory of ethical products.
By ethical we mean:
- Products that are ethically sourced, traded or made
- Services that support responsible, fair and sustainable trading practices
- Services that are eco-friendly and ethically sound
- Products that do not have a negative impact on the environment or humanity
- Products not tested on animals
- Products that are made from organic, sustainable and/or natural materials
- Products that originate from manufacturers practising Fairtrade trading
- Committed to recycling, minimum packaging and renewable energy and resources
The Ethical Products Organisation Directory does not and will not make money from our directory.
We do not and will not charge for listings in our Directory. At the EPO we believe that to charge for listings could easily lead us down the path of producing for profit instead of for the benefit of the ethical consumer.
In not charging for listings we are creating an organic ethical directory which is made up of ethical retailers and ethical service providers. Therefore consumers can be assured that the listings contained in the EPO Directory are there because we have found them to be ethical, not because they have paid us to list them.
We also do not take paid for advertising.
We don’t want our directory or the way we run our directory to be influenced by paying advertisers.
The EPO Directory is an organic directory made up of listings of ethical retailers and service providers screened and checked by us.
And yes, you can suggest a site to us. We will then check it out and if they meet our criteria we’ll let them know, list them and issue them with a Shield of Authenticity. All you have to do is complete the form on our CONTACT US page and we’ll do the rest.
When you find a listing on the EPO you can visit their site safe in the knowledge that they haven’t paid for their listing and have been screened by us and found to be ethical.
Our aim, at the EPO, is to make it easier for people to buy green products and services from shops they can trust.
The EPO Directory is a directory that consumers can trust in.
Every site listed in the EPO Directory has been asked to display the EPO Shield of Authenticity on their site to help build a network of support and trust for ethical services and retailers.
So when you see our Shield on a website you know the online shop or service is authentic and has been verified as a Trusted Ethical Website by the EPO so you can shop there safe in the knowledge that you are buying an ethical product or service from a website that meets the EPO ethical criteria.
EPO for Business
Criteria for Membership of the EPO
Websites must demonstrate that they meet the following criteria to be able to join the EPO Directory and be listed:
- Provide products and services that are eco-friendly and ethically sound – ethically sourced, traded or made
- Sell products and services that have no negative impact on the environment or humanity
- Sell products and services that demonstrate a responsibility to our world and environment
- Committed to offering ethical products and services at affordable prices
- Use no harmful chemicals or toxins in the manufacture of products or in the provision of services
- Supply products that contain no harmful chemicals and/or toxins
- Committed to recycling, minimum packaging and renewable energy and resources
- No testing on animals for any products
- Support responsible, fair and sustainable trading practices
- Use their site to increase public awareness of the environment and/or fairtrade practices
How to Become an EPO Member Site
To be listed on the EPO Directory and thus become a member site, you must first read the above criteria. Then, if you think you meet our criteria, you have to complete the form on our JOIN PAGE.
We will then manually screen and check your site to ensure that it is an authentic ethical website.
Shortly after your application has been received you will be informed by email if your site meets our criteria and has been listed on the site. You may be asked to answer some further questions before you can be listed.
Once listed you will be emailed the code to insert the EPO Shield of Authenticity on your site. To help your customers and to deter fraudulent display of our shield it will include a direct link to your link on this website.
Our shield has been created to help create a network of support and trust for ethical sites and consumers who will be looking for the EPO Shield and therefore a trusted ethical website.
Customers often look for this endorsement when choosing an ethical shop.
If your site is rejected because it doesn’t meet our criteria you will receive an email explaining why. You are free to apply again in the future.
When rejecting a website or organisation the EPO is not judging whether a website is ethical. We are simply deciding that a website does not meet our criteria for membership of the EPO at the time of applying.
The EPO takes great care to screen members, however, mistakes and errors can be made, sites can change their ethos, etc. Therefore we ask our members and visitors to let us know if they notice anything circumspect about any of our members. We will follow up this information promptly and deal with it appropriately.
Please note: Any specific complaints about products and services should be taken to the company concerned and not to us at the EPO.