The Ethical Supermarkets In The UK To Know

Wondering who the most ethical supermarkets are in the UK? Read on to learn the problems with most mainstream supermarkets, plus six online sustainable alternatives.

Love them or loathe them, supermarkets are a big part of our lives. So much so, that 88% of UK consumers regularly shop for food and everyday products from supermarkets. 

Grocery shopping in the UK is dominated by what is known as the ‘big six’ supermarkets – Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Lidl and Morrisons. But just how ethical are the supermarkets we rely on?

You don’t have to look very far to find that the short answer is not very. In October 2023, a petition was launched demanding fairer treatment for farmers from these big six supermarkets. Farmers claimed that the supermarkets were not buying what they agreed to buy, not paying what they agreed to pay, and/or not paying on time, which was crippling the agricultural sector.

Meanwhile, in September 2024, farmers claimed that the big six supermarkets were using fake farm brands and the British flag in their branding to mislead shoppers into thinking their products come from British family farms. Instead, they say much of this branded food is sourced from industrial US-style mega-farms or from overseas – negatively impacting British farmers.

Over the last couple of years, supermarkets have also been criticised for not doing enough to cut their plastic use or their food waste. Campaigners have also uncovered human rights abuses in supermarket supply chains, as well as animal welfare abuse. Finding an ethical supermarket feels as fruitful as trying to find gold at the end of a rainbow.

Are Any Supermarkets Ethical?

No major supermarket can be said to be truly ethical. This is because all of the Big Six supermarkets have inherent and systemic issues that don’t make any of them particularly ethical. Whilst some of them are making some progress, the single most ethical option is to avoid any mainstream supermarkets.

Some towns may still have independent shops, offering food and drink products. Zero-waste shops are also now widely found in many towns and cities across the UK – from refill shops in London to zero-waste shops in Edinburgh, offering a more sustainable way to shop.

We should support our local independent and zero-waste shops where possible. However, depending on where you live, it’s not always an option.

What we can all do though is to hold our supermarkets to account. This is key to bringing about ethical change, because supermarkets will only change their environmental practices when the Government introduces green legislation or taxes, or because of mounting public pressure.

It may feel like public pressure doesn’t do much. But do remember that many supermarkets and brands have switched to plastic-free teabags because of mounting consumer pressure. Therefore, any chance that you get to sign any petitions or send emails, Tweets, or Facebook comments to supermarkets related to their ethics, then it’s important to do so.

For example, Greenpeace is currently running a petition to ditch plastic packaging. Meanwhile, Chris Packham is running a petition to stop animal cruelty in supermarket supply chains. Any chance you get, basically, call supermarkets out for unethical behaviour.

How To Make Your Supermarket Shop More Sustainable

There are also some things you might be able to do to make your supermarket shop more sustainable. These include:

• Buying only what you need, to help avoid food waste.
• Opting for vegan and vegetarian options, where possible.
• Looking for organic produce, where possible.
• Looking for Fairtrade produce, where possible.
• Choosing plastic-free produce where possible.
• Shopping for seasonal fruit and vegetables where possible.
• Buying products that use sustainably sourced ingredients.

Guide To The Best Sustainable Supermarkets

As well as holding our supermarkets to account, there are also a few convenient ways to buy sustainable and plastic-free food and drink products in the UK.

I’ve found six ethical supermarkets in the UK, with more sustainable business models, that you can shop online. Consider them the ‘Sustainable Six’. Even buying some food from one of these sustainable retailers, and supplementing with produce from the local supermarket is one way to reduce your reliance on the supermarkets.

Ethical Superstore

Ethical Superstore – one of the original ethical and eco-friendly shopping stalwarts – sells a huge range of sustainable food and drink products to cleaning products. As well as this, it sells ethical versions of products you can find in most large supermarkets, including health and beauty products, clothes, toys and more.

Shopping sustainably is easy. Use the tables to shop according to product ethics. Whether it’s vegan-friendly, plastic-free, Fairtrade, or made in the UK, you can easily hone in on the exact groceries that match your needs and values.

Products Available

Ethical Superstore has a wide range of ethical grocery items for sale. Here’s a quick summary of what it offers:

Fresh Produce	No
Free-From Products	Yes
Meat Alternatives	Yes
Baked Goods	No
Ready Meals	Yes
Dried Foods	Yes
Tinned Foods	Yes
Cereals	Yes
Sauces & Preserves	Yes
Softs Drink & Cordials	Yes
Alcohol	Yes

Areas Served

UK-wide

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Abel & Cole

If you are based in England or South Wales and are looking for organic fruit and vegetable box deliveries, then have a look at Abel & Cole.

As well as fresh fruit and vegetables, you can also add fresh goods – including milk in refillable bottles – and plastic-free store cupboard staples to your order. Abel & Cole will then drop your food delivery to your door on the same day each week in returnable cardboard boxes.

Abel & Cole champion organic, wild, innovative, and sustainably-grown food, so you can be sure your food is top quality. And while Abel & Cole champion reduced packaging, for any packaging you can’t reuse or recycle, Abel & Cole will collect it to ensure it does get recycled.

Products Available

Here’s a brief overview of what produce is available at Abel & Cole:

Fresh Produce	Yes
Free-From Products	Yes
Meat Alternatives	No
Baked Goods	Yes
Ready Meals	Yes
Dried Foods	Yes
Tinned Foods	Yes
Cereals	Yes
Sauces & Preserves	Yes
Softs Drink & Cordials	Yes
Alcohol	Yes

Areas Served

England and parts of South Wales.

💷 Get 50% off your 1st and 4th box fruit and vegetable box, by using the code VEGBOX25 at the checkout.

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Riverford

For deliveries of fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as other fresh produce – from baked goods to dairy products – Riverford makes for a great sustainable supermarket alternative.

Its seasonal organic vegetable boxes bring you the best of every season. These are delivered straight to your door, direct from Riverford Farms, within 48 hours.

As vegetable growers, pickers, packers, and deliverers – this means that Riverford is able to create a closed-loop system to minimise the amount and impact of its packaging. This includes packaging its fruit and vegetables in home compostable packaging. Riverford also collects and reuses packaging, including the boxes the produce comes in.

Products Available

Fresh Produce	Yes
Free-From Products	Yes
Meat Alternatives	No
Baked Goods	Yes
Ready Meals	Yes (recipe boxes and kits)
Dried Foods	No
Tinned Foods	No
Cereals	No
Sauces & Preserves	No
Softs Drink & Cordials	No
Alcohol	No

Areas Served

England and Wales.

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Suma Wholefoods

Selling only vegetarian and vegan products, Suma is an online supermarket with a difference. Owned by workers, it’s an equal-pay co-operative that does business sustainably. Everyone gets paid the same wage and takes equal responsibility for the business.

Suma specialises in whole food essentials. These include organic beans and pulses, herbs and spices, oils and vinegar, as well as rice, grains and pasta. As well as these, you’ll also find ready-to-eat vegan alternatives and plant-based meat and fish substitutes.

Products Available

Fresh Produce	No
Free-From Products	Yes
Meat Alternatives	Yes
Baked Goods	No
Ready Meals	Yes
Dried Foods	Yes
Tinned Foods	Yes
Cereals	Yes
Sauces & Preserves	Yes
Softs Drink & Cordials	Yes
Alcohol	No

Areas Served

Mainland UK

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Planet Organic

As the name suggests, Planet Organic offers a wide range of organic foods and products. As well as being organic, Planet Organic became the first zero-edible food waste business in 2018, by redistributing leftover food to the community through the sustainability apps Olio and Too Good To Go.

Its online orders are delivered across the UK in cardboard boxes made from 75% recycled fibres. These are padded out with recycled scrunched paper and compostable air pockets. Chilled products are also kept cool with biodegradable plant gel ice packs.

Products Available

Fresh Produce	Yes
Free-From Products	Yes
Meat Alternatives	No
Baked Goods	No
Ready Meals	Yes
Dried Foods	Yes
Tinned Foods	Yes
Cereals	Yes
Sauces & Preserves	Yes
Softs Drink & Cordials	Yes
Alcohol	Yes

Areas Served

England, Wales and Scotland.

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Oddbox

Oddbox seeks to reduce the number of fruits and vegetables at risk of going to waste on farms. As such, its “wonky” fruit and veg delivery boxes – available in four different sizes – are packed with an assortment of fresh produce that may otherwise go unsold. You can choose from weekly or fortnightly deliveries to suit your household.

Produce ends up with Oddbox for two reasons. The first is that the fruit and veg won’t meet retailers’ strict cosmetic specifications. The produce could be on the small side, be an unusual shape or colour or have been marked in some way while growing.

The other is that the farmer has a surplus. That could be because the weather has caused more crops to grow than predicted. It could be because an order they had with a supplier got cancelled. Whatever the reason, it’s better that the produce ends up on your plate than potentially being wasted.

Products Available

Fresh Produce	Yes
Free-From Products	No
Meat Alternatives	No
Baked Goods	No
Ready Meals	No
Dried Foods	No
Tinned Foods	No
Cereals	No
Sauces & Preserves	No
Softs Drink & Cordials	No
Alcohol	No

Areas Served

Oddbox doesn’t disclose exactly which areas it serves. Instead, you need to input your postcode into the postcode finder on the website to find out if it delivers in your local area.

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What I’ve Looked For In An Ethical Supermarket

To help find the most ethical supermarkets, I used a set of criteria to help guide me:

Reducing Waste

Does the supermarket actively work to reduce waste? Do they offer package-free or bulk items, or use compostable packaging materials or takeback schemes? I was particularly impressed by Abel & Cole and Riverford’s closed-loop packaging schemes.

Product Sustainability

Are food and drink products organic? Are vegan alternatives offered? Does the supermarket source Fairtrade items? These were all key questions I looked into.

How Ethical Is The Supermarket’s Supply Chain

What conditions do workers work in? How are they treated? What are they paid? These are just some of the questions that go into determining whether a supermarket is ethical or not. Suma’s worker’s cooperative was the biggest stand out in this guide – ensuring equal pay for every employee.

Animal Rights

Finally, I was keen to know how the brands ensure there is no animal exploitation or abuse in their supply chains. This is easier for brands that don’t sell meat or dairy products. However, for brands that do, they can prioritise transparency by working only with certified farms that meet high animal welfare standards. Supporting regenerative and pasture-based farming, and working with smaller producers rather than factory farms also reduces the likelihood of abuse.