Want help with how to shop ethically? Then here are a few books to help

Wanting to be more of an ethical shopper but overwhelmed by all the information out there? Well, Blue & Green Tomorrow’s Charlotte Reid is here to help, with a look at the best books out there to get you on the right track.

The leading guide to ethical shopping is The Good Shopping Guide, by Charlotte Mulvey, which has released its 10th edition this year.

It looks at a variety of products from butter to banks and ranks companies on their impact on the environment, human rights and animal welfare and gives you the results in a handy graph.

The book will help you to decide which products you might want to buy more of and some that you may want to avoid, but it does not give an in-depth answer as to why.

Likewise, The Little Book of Green Shopping, by Diane Millis. This contains 250 useful tips to consider when buying cars, holidays or cleaning products to get the best deal for the environment.

Ethical Shopping: Where to shop, what to buy and How to Make a Difference, by William Young and Richard Welford, is another solid guide to which shops are the best environmentally and which ones could do better.

The Rough Guide to Green Living, by Duncan Clark, gives a friendly and fact-filled tour of all aspects of how to live an eco-friendly life.

He also talks about travelling habits, energy providers and growing your own vegetables, as well as ethical shopping.

Clark’s book has been praised for its lack of preaching as he simply gives you reasons as to why you should care about the environment and the information for how to do it.

If you are looking for more personality then The New Green Consumer Guide, by Julia Hailes, goes through all aspects of modern life to find out what can be reduced to help the environment.

She backs up her arguments with anecdotes and it is her enthusiasm that makes this book a great choice for beginners.

Another one for beginners, but maybe not the men, is Confessions of an Eco-shopper: The True Story of One Woman’s Mission to go Green, by Kate Lock.

The book follows Kate as she undertakes a number of eco challenges testing out various products in a bid to make her ordinary life greener. It also includes a mini eco-shopping directory too.

A completely different take on environmental shopping is 90% Off Every Day! Eco-friendly Second Hand Shopping Secrets, by Diana Tenes.

Tenes wrote the book to tell people that if you learn the green skill of rummaging in second hand shops you would not only help the planet but would also making huge savings.

Want to know more than just how to do the weekly shop environmentally friendly? Then there is Cool Green Stuff: A Guide to Finding Great Recycled, Sustainable and Renewable Objects You Will Love, by Dave Evans.

It features a gallery of one-of-a-kind items designed to make the world cooler but also greener. Each entry includes an explanation saying what it is made from, how it is environmental friendly and where it can be bought from.

The top tip for buying the best ethical shopping guide for you is to make sure that it is the most recent version of the book.

This means it will be more likely to include the latest brands and any updates about companies as they continue to change their approach to ethical and environmental products.