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How do you know Which Websites and Companies are Responsible and Sustainable?

The internet is awash with thousands of sites for absolutely everything, and when surfing the web users can come across an eclectic variety of pages and companies. The worrying thing is, though, that a large amount of sites are operating without proper security, social, and environmental considerations. 52 percent of consumers surveyed in the UK and the US believe the responsibility for the future of the planet lies with manufacturers, and 61 percent of Millennials said they would pay more for eco-friendly products as green consumerism continues to rise. If you also want to do your bit for the world, you need to be able to identify whether a business is responsible and sustainable. This information can usually be found on the company website.

Online Security

Online security is a social phenomenon which has become more pertinent in recent years as the world has moved online. 58.4 percent of the world’s population uses the World Wide Web, and it has opened up so many new possibilities and ways of doing things. However, it has also made it feasible for hackers and cybercriminals to steal from people in innovative and unprecedented ways. For this reason, responsible sites need to ensure that the information of their users is kept safe and secure.

Internet users need to know how to spot sites which take online security seriously so that no personal data is leaked to outsiders. This, in turn, provides peace of mind while browsing. One way to know if a site is safe is to see what kind of payment methods they accept. Betway Casino players can add funds using VISA, MasterCard, or PayPal among other options, in order to access the live table game or a number of varieties of it on mobile or desktop. The Steam Network is another site that gamers spend money on. It accepts all the above methods as well as American Express and Discover. These trusted systems only partner up with legitimate sites, giving bettors the reassurance that their details are being used responsibly. Players can also look for relevant licenses to make sure a site is reliable.

Social Responsibility

A person with a strong sense of social responsibility will feel obliged to use sites which follow a similar ethical framework. Sites and businesses which focus on monetary gain while neglecting the environment, for instance, would not be fulfilling their social responsibility and should be avoided. By sticking to ethically sound sites, users can feel safe in the knowledge that their custom will help support a business which has the interests of society at its core.

Companies can demonstrate their social responsibility in various ways. Some of the main options are through philanthropy, ethical labor practices, and volunteering. Philanthropically-motivated practices include donating money to non-profit organizations and other worthy causes. Apple is a prime example of a company which does this well. The tech giant has a gift match policy for its employees of up to $10,000 per year. It has managed to donate $78 million to charities through this noble scheme. Other companies which have matching gift programs include Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, and Expedia.

Ethical labor practice refers to treating employees fairly, which is something that international companies, in particular, need to adhere to. Sourcing fair trade products is one way to demonstrate this trait. Coffee giant Starbucks is renowned for this and uses a system called C.A.F.E to ensure that the products it receives are from sustainable sources. The acronym stands for Coffee and Farmer Equity Practices. H&M increases client and consumer trust by publishing a list of 98.5 percent of its suppliers’ names and addresses. This way it is easy to verify whether suppliers are living up to the correct standards.

Volunteering is also important. Companies should be seen to do good things without asking for anything in return. AppDynamics gives its employees five paid volunteer days off each year and encourages them to give back to charities that are of importance to them. Colgate-Palmolive, a company that specializes in the kinds of personal care products we value so highly, has a great initiative. The skincare giant runs frequent Care Days to help support charities.

Environmental Awareness

Environmental awareness is perhaps the main way that businesses can show that they care about their social responsibility and the thing that consumers are going to place highest on the list of importance. Back in 2015, it was found that 87 percent of women and 78 percent of men in the USA were looking for more opportunities to be environmentally responsible. Since then, this trend has gained even more traction as greater numbers of people are becoming aware of the irreparable damage humans are doing to the planet.

The end-user needs to do what they can to cut down on the use of things like plastic, but people are looking to the major companies in the world to make a bigger impact. Ford is leading the way in the motoring industry in terms of environmentally friendly methods, and 80 percent of the Focus and Escape vehicles are recyclable. Fuel efficiency is also seen as a matter of great importance as a way to cut down on greenhouse gases. Disney is hell-bent on cutting down on these harmful gases and has a zero-waste policy at all its facilities as well.

When companies are environmentally conscious, socially responsible, and careful about their online security, it is usually written clearly on the home page so that consumers can see all this information instantly. It is helpful to do research about the most responsible and sustainable businesses and websites, and stick to using these when surfing the web.


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