POLO

How ethical is Polo?

Polo is a brand owned by Nestlé S.A. which has a below-benchmark score on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Sweets Ratings Table. Although Polo has not yet met our ethical benchmark, we hope to see the brand make progress in the future.

We would have extra confidence in Polo if it submitted itself to apply 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 Sweets sector and see how other brands score in our Ethical Sweets Ratings Table.

What does Polo do?

Polo is a brand of breath mint defined by its hole in the middle. It was first manufactured in the UK in 1948 by Rowntree’s. There is also a fruit version of the sweet.

In which areas does Polo perform poorly?

Polo was marked down under our criteria for GMO as its parent company, Nestlé S.A., states that it believes GMO ingredients are safe to use.

Nestlé states that it still uses animal testing where required by law, so Polo receives a bottom rating for Animal Welfare.

Nestlé donated over $548k in recent election cycles which is above our threshold, so Polo gets a poor rating for this criterion. Find out more about how we rate by exploring our ethical criteria.

Past Criticisms of Polo record

In 2023 an investigation revealed that some pesticides that are banned in the EU are being used by farms in Brazil supplying Nestlé. In the same year a report by Rainforest Action Network called on brands including Nestlé to cease using palm oil sourced from the Harita Group, due to the group’s destruction of indigenous communities in Borneo. Nestlé was also criticised in early 2023 for failing to cease trading in Russia.

In 2022 a consumer watchdog filed a complaint against Nestlé and Ferrero relating to E. coli and Salmonella outbreaks involving the companies. In the same year a report by Mighty Earth also revealed that a number of chocolate companies, including Nestlé, had failed to uphold their previously-stated commitment to end deforestation in West Africa.

In which areas does Polo score well for its ethics?

Polo’s parent company, Nestlé, published its ‘Creating Shared Value and Sustainability Report’ which includes a number of environmental targets relating to carbon reduction, deforestation-free supply chains and recyclable packaging. Therefore Polo scores well for Environmental Report.

We found no criticisms of Polo relating to Nuclear, Fossil Fuels or Armaments so it scores well for these criteria.

How can Polo improve its ethical rating?

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

To reach our minimum ethical benchmark and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, Polo has some issues to resolve, including  its use of GMO ingredients, support for animal testing and political donations. If it applies for Ethical Accreditation, The Good Shopping Guide will be able to give Polo 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 about how to attain Ethical Accreditation, please contact us or complete a Free Initial Assessment form.