Lipton

How ethical is Lipton?

Lipton is a soft drinks brand which has a below-benchmark score on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Soft Drinks Ratings Table. Although Lipton has not yet met our ethical benchmark, we hope to see the brand make progress in the future.

We would have extra confidence in Lipton if it applied for Ethical Accreditation, whereby The Good Shopping Guide would make further detailed assessment and recommendations for ethical improvement. Find out more about the ethical issues facing the Soft Drinks sector.

What does Lipton do?

Lipton is a brand of tea, and its range includes flavoured iced tea soft drinks with fruit flavours. Lipton is now owned by Unilever and PepsiCo.

In which areas does Lipton perform poorly?

Lipton was marked down under our criteria for Organic due to a lack of certification. It was also marked down for GMOs as its parent company, Unilever, believes that GM ingredients are safe to use. Unilever also states that it does use Animal Testing where required by law.

Find out more about how we rate by exploring our ethical criteria.

Past Criticisms of Lipton’s record

Unilever, Lipton’s parent company, has come under fire for failing to deliver on its promise to scale back its presence in Russia. Unilever has also been named as one of the companies sourcing palm oil from mills controlled by the Harita Group, who are responsible for the destruction of indigenous communities in Borneo.

In which areas does Lipton score well for its ethics?

Lipton’s parent company, Unilever, has an Annual Report and Accounts 2022, which contains a wide range of environmental targets across different areas, giving Lipton a good score for Environmental Report.

We found no criticisms relating to; Nuclear, Fossil Fuels or Armaments, therefore Lipton scores well across these criteria. Find out more about how we rate.

How can Lipton improve its ethical rating?

The below-benchmark score that Lipton is awarded with on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Soft Drinks Ratings Table is the result of an evaluation of multiple ethical criteria.

To reach our minimum ethical benchmark and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, Lipton has some issues to resolve, including its use of GMOs. If it applies for Ethical Accreditation, The Good Shopping Guide will be able to give Lipton some guidance to improve on these areas.

Were you aware that your brand could benefit from Ethical Accreditation? Brands accredited by The Good Shopping Guide can display our Ethical Mark, showcasing to consumers that it is an ethical and sustainable brand. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact us or complete a Free Initial Assessment form.